With the end of the Eagles cross country teams came their NCAA regional tournaments. Across multiple sports and leagues, an ultimate regional series of games, sets and matches like this one can make or break a team’s season; define, and or refine, it.
For both the men’s and women’s runners going in, their already-solid efforts across the board ensured that no possible outcome could spoil their positivity. Both teams have found immense success at one point or another this season, and even so much as competing in an NCAA tournament is a great honor.
This year, both teams got the opportunity to run their race in the NCAA Division 3 Great Lakes Regional.
Despite facing a slew of injuries and setbacks, the men’s team achieved a 29th place finish among 42 total competing schools; a respectable mark for any unit.
The team’s top placement came from Wes Preston in his final race as an Eagle, finishing 100th out of 283 runners with a time of 26:53. Dan Kersey came in just behind him at 27:53.
Following those two at the top, sophomore Jojo Ernst and junior Cameron Tapp came in mere minutes in their wake. Luke Holton and Tyler Chong rounded out the men’s crew, contributing to their ultimate finish inside the top 30.
The women’s team put up a similar fight, placing 35th out of 39 schools on that end of the competition. Ella Morton led their ranks, slotting in at 206 with a time of 26:34, followed closely by teammates Lily Rinehart and Bailey Gassman at 207 and 208, with times of 26:36 and 26:37 respectively. Adyson Mattingly, Ava Miller and Emma Groff would finish right after those three, with Sarah Yost capping off the entirety of the women’s team shortly after that trio.
The unit stuck together and pulled themselves above multiple schools on the leaderboard by the end of the competition.
Both the men’s and women’s cross country teams will come away from this year’s regional tournament with much to learn, and even more to be proud of. Eagles on both sides will enjoy a semester away from competition before getting back to work and building towards an even better finish next fall.
