Sophomore Brandon Hall set a personal record with a time of 16:43 at the Catholic High Invitational on Oct. 7 (file photo).

Racing without its top two runners, Jesuit’s cross country team still managed a ninth-place finish in a 33-team field at the Catholic High Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 7 at the Highland Park course in Baton Rouge.

Sophomore Brandon Hall paced the Jays, setting a personal record with a 16:43 time on the three-mile course. Rounding out the Top Five for Jesuit were seniors Jonathan Arnold, Michael Williams, Brenner Rauch, and Ryan Guillot.

Senior Jordan Tufts and freshman Jack Wallace, the team’s top two runners, sat out on Saturday.

“I’m really proud of Brandon,” said Coach Rudy Horvath ’86. “He ran a very smart race. The course was pretty sloppy and not exactly conducive to great times. For him to PR today speaks volumes for his maturation.”

The Jays take a week off before returning to action on October 21 at the Jack Schommer Invitational, hosted by Brother Martin High School. That race will take place on the City Park course.