MECHANICSVILLE, Va. – The St. Mary's College of Maryland men's cross country team began the 2025 season running a 6K race at the Spider Alumni Open hosted by the University of Richmond at Pole Green Park.
 
St. Mary's College finished 12th in the 13-team field, which featured nine NCAA Division I programs. The Seahawks placed third among their Division III counterparts – Christopher Newport University (ranked seventh in the South Region) and University of Mary Washington – with 356 points.
 
How It Happened

• Sophomore Pierson Hogue (Ellicott City, Md./Mount Hebron) paced SMCM with a personal record of 20:31.2 to come in 92nd in the 140-person field. Hogue was three seconds off the men's 6K school record of 20:28.1 set by Michael Wade '25 at last year's Spider Open.
• First-year Brandon Smoot (Hanover, Md./DeMatha) was second to cross the finish line for St. Mary's College, clocking a 20:32.5 for 93rd place.
• Senior Kelly Byrne (Rockville, Md./Rockville) posted a 108th-place finish with a personal record of 21:18.8.
• Sophomore Blake Carberry (Pylesville, Md./North Harford) came in next, taking 117th with a personal record of his own in 21:49.1.
• Rounding out the five Seahawk scorers was junior Noah Fisher (Union Bridge, Md./Francis Scott Key). Fisher placed 123rd in 22:48.8.
• Sophomore RJ Etzler (Thurmont, Md./Catoctin), who was the seventh runner to cross the finish line for SMCM, also notched a personal record with 24:29.4 to finish 131st.

 
Up Next for the Seahawks

• Sept. 6 at Philadelphia Cross Classic – Philadelphia, Pa. (Belmont Plateau) – 9:45 am

 
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