BROOKINGS, S.D. — The Saint Mary's University cross country teams got their seasons off and running — literally — Friday evening, as the Cardinals took part in the Augustana Twilight.
 
And if the Cardinals' season-opening performances were any indication, coach Darren Schneider is going to be one happy camper this season.
 
Grant Schneider (Moorhead, Minn.) kicked off his sophomore campaign in much the same fashion as he ended his freshman's — leading the Cardinal charge with a four-mile time of 21:09.44 — while Caeli McMahon (Holmen, Wis.) led the way for the Cardinal women, posting a 5K time of 21:41.28.
 
Ryan Topolski (Onalaska, Wis.) was second across the finish line for the Cardinal men, stopping the clock in 22:00.03, followed by Isaiah Fitzgerald (Rochester, Minn. / 22:15.36), Sean Smyth (Pinehurst, N.C. / 22:34.97), Sam Morris (Hockinson, Wash. / 22:40.97), Gabe Schonknecht (Chicago, Ill. / 22:43.35), Delorean Peterson (Blair, Wis. / 22:51.49), Caden Fisher (Gardner, Kan. / 24:04.48), Evan Finney (West End, N.C. / 25:24.84), and Cade Kloss (Apple Valley, Minn. / 25:48.85).
 
Along with McMahon's team-leading performance, Kendra Klobe (Glencoe, Minn. / 21:56.74), Megan Frosch (Oconomowoc, Wis. / 22:50.33), Rheanna Hopkins (Bruce, Wis. / 22:53.36), Abbie Meyer (Sauk Centre, Minn. / 23:10.69), and Alyssa Kuffel (Rice Lake, Minn. / 27:12.05) also posted solid first-meet performances for the SMU women.
 
The Cardinals are back in action on Sept. 16, when they travel to Northfield, Minn., to take part in the MIAC Preview, hosted by Carleton College.