UNK Athletics

Men's Cross Country 12/2/2022 2:19:00 PM

22nd Times Two at NCAA's; Stuckey is an All-American

Men's Cross Country 12/2/2022 2:19:00 PM

22nd Times Two at NCAA's; Stuckey is an All-American

Kearney, Neb. – Both Nebraska Kearney cross country teams finished in 22nd place and super senior Luke Stuckey earned All-American honors Friday at the NCAA Division II Championships in University Place, Wash.

The meet, held at Chambers Regional Park, was part of the D2 "Fall Festival" with Seattle Pacific University serving as host. A total of 34 teams and 24 individuals on each side took part in either a 10k (men's) or 6k (women). Temperatures were in the 30's on an overcast day with the course being muddy and slightly snow covered.

In the national meet for a second straight year, the 9th-ranked Loper men were dealt a blow when All-Region and All-MIAA honoree Myles Bach dropped out at the 3k mark. He was the team's top finisher at both the MIAA and NCAA Central Regional Championships.

UNK still came in ahead of 12 teams including MIAA rival Washburn (26th). The Lopers tallied 509 points, an improvement of 87 points from a fall ago, with the Central also being represented by Augustana (7th), Missouri Southern (9th) and Pittsburg State (20th). Colorado School of Mines easily won the national title by tallying 43 points.

Stuckey (McCool Junction) cracked the Top 40 to become the 10th UNK man at the D2 level (since 1990) to earn All-American status. He completed the course in 30:27.4 to tally a team-low 32 points. Stuckey was the top MIAA finisher and one of three from the region to earn AA honors. The field consisted of 262 runners with five not finishing. Mines sophomore Dillon Powell (29:28.0) was national champ by almost 20 seconds.

In the track season, Stuckey has earned AA status in the 1,500 (2021) and as a member of the DMR team (2022).

In the big meet for the first time, a young UNK women's team tallied 576 points to be the sixth finisher among Central Region teams. The others were Augie (5th), Winona State (10th), Pitt State (17th), Minnesota-Duluth (21st) and Northwest Missouri (24th).

All-Region runner Hannah Pollan (Omaha) led the Lopers by coming in 82nd place. The field of 263 included one not finishing and was led by Adams State junior and 2019 national champ Stephanie Cotter (19:45.2). Runner up and Central champ, Winona State's Lindsay Cunningham, was almost 45 seconds behind her. ASU (75 points) took the team race with the Central having nine All-Americans.

Below are UNK's seven entries, where they placed and points scored. The indoor track & field season begins on Friday afternoon (3 p.m.) in Cushing Coliseum with the annual Blue & Gold intrasquad meet.

36. (32 points)	Luke Stuckey (R-Sr., McCool Junction)	30:27.4
64. (54 points)	Ben Arens (R-Jr., Ainsworth	30:54.1
137. (115 points)	Payton Davis (So., David City)	31:42.7
168. (146 points)	Justin Vrooman (R-Sr., Juniata)	32:07.8
185. (162 points)	Brett Schoenhofer (So., Andover, KS)	32:19.4
226. (201 points)	Sam Lueders (R-So., Blair)	33:00.8
DNF	Myles Bach (R-So, Cedar Rapids, IA)	77th at 3k (9:14.6)

82. (70 points)	Hanna Pollan (R-Jr., Elkhorn H.S.)	21:54.7
121. (100 points)	Grace Bonsall (R-So., Kearney)	22:16.9
137. (116 points)	Baylee Alstrom (R-Jr., Holdrege H.S.)	22:31.7
156. (134 points)	Elizabeth Polk (R-So., Hooper)	22:43.7
181. (156 points)	Mara Hemmer (So., Fremont)	23:00.9
185. (160 points)	Jordan Soto-Stopak (So., Albion)	23:03.6
229. (203 points)	Lexi Liess (Fr., Overland Park, KS)	23:56.9

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Players Mentioned

Baylee Alstrom: Redshirt Senior

Grace Bonsall: Redshirt Sophomore

Mara Hemmer: Sophomore

Elizabeth Polk: Redshirt Sophomore

Hannah Pollan: Redshirt Junior

Jordan Soto-Stopak: Sophomore

Lexi Liess: Freshman

Ben Arens: Redshirt Junior

Myles Bach: Redshirt Sophomore

Payton Davis: Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Baylee Alstrom
: Redshirt Senior

Grace Bonsall
: Redshirt Sophomore

Mara Hemmer
: Sophomore

Elizabeth Polk
: Redshirt Sophomore

Hannah Pollan
: Redshirt Junior

Jordan Soto-Stopak
: Sophomore

Lexi Liess
: Freshman

Ben Arens
: Redshirt Junior

Myles Bach
: Redshirt Sophomore

Payton Davis
: Sophomore