DeKALB, Ill. – UIC shook off the rust and toed the starting the line for the first time in 2018 Friday afternoon and the Flames had a strong showing at the NIU Huskie Challenge.

In the women's race, 4.2 kilometers, Allison Hansen finished fourth overall, while Ai Kaisho claimed 10^th place. UIC was downright dominant in the men's 6K that followed. Walmer Saavedra was the first finisher as the Flames claimed the top three spots on the podium, and seven of the top 10.

The men's team was the top squad with 17 points. Benedictine University was second with 61. UIC's women's team finished second with 46 points. Host NIU claimed the top spot on the women's side with 22 points.

"Today's meet served its purpose of everyone either getting back into their UIC singlet or putting it on for the first time," said UIC head coach Ashley Lucas. "The women and men executed the race how we wanted them to knowing we were using this as a hard workout. Now we continue to work hard, grow together, and set our sights on competing at Illinois State in a few weeks."

Women's 5K Highlights

• 2017 All-Horizon League honoree Allison Hansen paced the Flames with a fourth-place finish in a time of 15:52.5.
• Hansen finished 11 seconds behind the race's winner, Noelle Maire of Northern Illinois.
• UIC junior Ai Kaisho was the next UIC runner to cross the line, leading a pack of five Flames that finished 10^th through 14^th. Kaisho posed a time of 16:21.
• Natalie Jaramillo was about 22 seconds behind Kaisho in a time of 16:43.9.
• A pair of newcomers performed well in their first collegiate race. Freshmen Sylvia Waz (16:47.8) and Teresa Mejia (16:48.7) finished right in front sophomore Kayla Isom (17:05.3).

Men's 6K Highlights

• Junior Walmer Saavedra set a PR by three seconds with his race-winning time of 19:54.0. His previous best came in the 2016 Flames/Flyers Challenge.
• Competing in his first collegiate team event since 2016, Brixton Rill finished second overall in 19:58.3. Saavedra and Rill were the only two runners to finish below the 20-minute mark.
• Sophomore Carlos Cabrera very narrowly almost joined the sub-20 club as he finished third overall in 20:00.7
• The Flames also finished fifth, sixth and seventh Friday. Sophomore Chris Joseph (20:24.7), freshman Josh English (20:40.9) and second-year standout Martin Skucas (20:46.3) all had strong races for UIC.
• Mitch Deamantopulos was right outside the top-10. He finished 11^th overall in 21:19.7.

Team Results
Men
1. UIC, 17
2. Benedictine, 61
3. Harper College, 73
4. Chicago State, 92
 
Women
1. NIU, 22
2. UIC, 46
3. Benedictine, 104
4. Harper College, 114
5. Sauk Valley CC, 116
6. Chicago State, 159
 
Up Next

• UIC will next hit the course on Friday, Sept. 14 at the Illinois State Invitational.