Lopers Run at Regionals

11/4/2023 6:32:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The Nebraska Kearney cross country teams finished sixth (men) and 14th (women) at the 2023 NCAA Central Regional meet Saturday in Joplin, Mo.

Securing automatic bids (top three finish) for the NCAA Championships back in Joplin in two weeks are East (Okla.) Central, Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri on the men's side with women's teams from Winona (Minn.) State, Augustana and Pitt advancing.

The top two runners not from one of those teams also head to the NCAA's with the rest of the field picked early next week based on criteria from the regular season and regional performance.

The Loper men had four scorers in the Top 45 to tally 179 points and place ahead of nationally-ranked Augustana (17th) and Minnesota-Duluth (23rd). ECU (40 points) easily came in first with Pitt (112) the runner up.

The UNK women saw its top two scorers finish in the Top 52 with the team tallying 330 points overall. Winona (52) was well ahead of NSIC rival Augie (95) to take the team trophy. A total of 31 women's squads competed this year with 29 on the men's side.

Omaha redshirt sophomore Nick Abdalla ran the 10k course in 30:54.9 to finish 13th in a field of 199 runners. ECU's Peter Kipkemboi (29:46.9) won by nearly five seconds with two of his teammates also in the top eight. Next, Iowa redshirt junior Myles Bach bounced back from missing the MIAA Championships due to injury to finish 18th this week (31:06.) with Kansas junior Brett Schoenhofer 44th (32:02.8).

The first three Loper women to complete the 6k course were Kearney redshirt freshman Grace Bonsall (50th/22:15.9), Albion junior Jordan Soto-Stopak (52nd/22:18.6) and Fremont junior Mara Hemmer (67th/22:32.1). As expected, WSU's Lindsay Cunningham was the winner (19:33.3).

UNK's other scorers were David City junior Payton Davis (45th/32:03.9) and Grand Island redshirt junior Eder Garcia (59th/32:22.6) and Kansas sophomore Lexi Liess (73rd/22:35.6) and Central City sophomore Ella Buhlke (88th/22:49.8).

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