The UTEP men's cross country team made a strong showing in their first big test of the season, taking second in the Notre Dame Joe Piane Invitational Cross Country Meet Friday afternoon in South Bend, Ind.
Mississippi won the elite Blue Division with 83 points. UTEP was second in the 25-team division, with 99 points. Sophomore Jonah Koech finished fifth in the five mile run in a time of 23:52.6, just 20.7 seconds behind winner Sean Tobin of Mississippi. Miner sophomore Anthony Kosgei was close behind Koech, taking seventh in 23:55.0, just 23.1 seconds off the winning time.