The men’s and women’s cross-country teams competed at the NAIA Cross Country National Championship in Columbia, Missouri, last week.
The men’s team finished in 34th place in the 8000m. The College of Idaho won the team national title with 87 points. Milligan University was the team runner-up with 96 points.
Head Coach Brett Charlton commented, “The men’s team had a solid outing. Isai Moran ran very well. To be the top runner on a national qualifying team as a freshman is very impressive. He’s someone we feel we can build around in the future.”
Isai Moran was the Saints’ top finisher with a time of 25:38.7. He was followed by Sabastian Moreno with a time of 26:19.7, Joseph Gonzalez with a time of 26:33.5, JoseCarlos Hernandez with a time of 26:42.2, Jose Saucedo with a time of 26:52.3, Kruz Malesich with a time of 27:33.5 and Tony Favella with a time of 27:58.4.
The women’s team finished in 34th place in the 6000m. The Master’s University emerged as the team champion by one point over Taylor University.
Coach Charlton commented, “The women’s team competed hard today. Mia Curiel ran a lifetime best in the 6K at 23:43. All the way around the board, the ladies left it on the course. It was an extremely fast field this season which is really good for NAIA cross-country.”
Mia Curiel was the Saints’ top finisher with a time of 23:43.2. She was followed by Victoria Bartlett, who had a time of 24:48.0. Liliana Hernandez was next with a time of 24:54.9. Leilani Leza marked a time of 24:55.5, followed by Valeria Peña at 26:03.2 and Claudia Helena Lopez at 26:59.0.
Overall, the 2024 NAIA cross country national championship was a highly competitive and exciting event that showcased the talent and dedication of the participating student-athletes.