Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska-Kearney cross country teams finished fourth (men) and sixth (women) at the 2021 NCAA Central Regional meet Saturday in Joplin, Mo.

Missouri Southern State hosted the event at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course. The women ran a 6k and the men a 10k. The top three teams on each side advance to the NCAA Championships Nov. 20 in Tampa; an additional 10 at-large teams from around the country will also go to Florida with that group announced Monday. Top individuals in each of D2's eight regions not on an advancing team will qualify as well. 

The Loper men, ranked fifth in the region, put themselves into strong consideration for an at-large bid by scoring 171 points in a 31-team field. UNK was fifth at the halfway point but caught No. 29 Northwest Missouri in the end to have one of its best regional finishes over the past quarter century. The 2015 (3rd of 27) and 2013 (4th of 23) squads also had top four efforts and then advanced on to the NCAA's. UNK's last national trip came in 2015. 

No. 4 Augustana won (43) with No. 17 MSSU the runner up (81) and No. 6 Pittsburg State (92) third. Central Missouri (179) and Mary (231) were in fifth and sixth, respectively.

The No. 24 UNK women are in a bit more of precarious spot for nationals as they tallied 252 points in a 35-team field. This ties for the Lopers best regional finish; however, the 2007 (23 teams) and 1997 (13 teams) squads ran against much smaller fields. The fourth and fifth place finishers in each of D2's eight regionals will be considered first for at-large spots and then each sixth place teams.

No. 3 Augie (33) easily won with No. 18 Minnesota-Duluth second (113) and No. 17 Mary third (130). Ahead of UNK was Winona State (190) and Northwest Missouri (221).

Individually, Iowa redshirt freshman Myles Bach (17th/30:1.29) and Imperial senior Destiny Reinke (35th/21:59.77) were the top UNK finishers. A field of 207 men was led by MSSU's Ryan Riddle (29:22.28) with the women's winner being Winona's Lindsay Cunningham. She ran a 20:22.52 to lead group of 237 runners.

Also scoring for the men was McCool Junction redshirt junior Luke Stuckey (20th/30:28.44), Juniata redshirt junior Justin Vrooman (30th/30:59.79), Ainsworth redshirt sophomore Ben Arens (35th/31:10.53) and Omaha freshman Nick Abdalla (69th/32:04.14). Kansas true freshman Brett Schoenhofer (76th/32:09.00) was UNK's sixth finisher.

The women saw Kearney redshirt freshman Grace Bonsall place 39th (22:01.27), Iowa redshirt senior Maddie Bach come in 55th (22:21.22), Hooper redshirt freshman Elizabeth Polk finish 60th (22:24.39) and Omaha redshirt sophomore Hannah Pollan be 63rd (22:29.27). Comstock super senior Zoe Ritz was the next Loper to cross the line (118th; 23:79.14) with Fremont true freshman Shelby Bracker (23:19.86) a place behind.