JOPLIN, Mo. – The Butler Grizzly men and women's cross country squads left the Missouri Southern Stampede on Friday with two first place finishers while the women's team posted a second place finish.

Freshman Adem Bouldjadj (Jijel, Algeria) and sophomore Khloi Bird (Topeka) won their respective races with Bouldjadj placing first in the men's 8k with a time of 25:50.45 and Bird winning the women's 5k, running an 18:41.52. Bouldjadj won his second consecutive race to open the season after winning the Terry Masterson Twilight Classic on Sept. 1.

Sophomore Jesica Mbhamali (Soweto, South Africa) placed third for the Grizzly women running a 19:18.40.

The Grizzly women placed second behind Hutchinson after a tiebreaker gave the Blue Dragons the first place finish. Both squads had 52 points.

Freshman Soualah Yasser was the next highest finisher for the Grizzly men, coming in eighth with a time of 28:03.95. The men's team placed fifth with 162 points.

The Grizzlies will return to action at the Chile Pepper Invitational on Sept. 29 in Fayetteville, Ark.