FORT WAYNE, Ind. - Marian University head men's cross country coach David Roberts said after the Knights won the small college division at the Evansville Invitational that they had not reached their peak yet. Well, he was right as the Knights won the 2009 Mid-Central College Conference championship on Saturday afternoon in Fort Wayne, Ind.
The Knights seemingly ran away with the MCC title on Saturday as their closest competitor was 20 points behind them after all 103 runners had crossed the finish line. They finished with 38 points, while Taylor University finished as the runners-up with 58 points. With the win, the Knights head to the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championships on November 21 in Vancouver, Wash.
Senior Kyle Murray (Morgantown, Ind./Indian Creek) won his first career MCC individual championship as he crossed the line with a time of 26:20. He finished seven seconds behind the second-place finisher. Murray has been a national qualifier in each of the last two seasons as an individual. For his win, he was named All-Conference for the third time.
Senior Michael Foerster (Ferdinand, Ind./Forest Park) picked up a sixth-place finish with a time of 26:50 and was also named All-Conference for the first time. Senior Thomas Jeschke (Indianapolis, Ind./Decatur Central) finished in eighth place with a time of 27:02 to earn his first All-Conference nod.
Sophomore Nick Sefton (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) finished in 11th place with a time of 27:17, while sophomore Derek Harris (McCordsville, Ind./Scecina Memorial) finished in 12th place with a time of 27:28. Both were named All-Conference for their respectivefinishes.
Junior Michael Wieser (Guilford, Ind./East Central) finished in 28th place with a time of 28:23, while senior Ryan Strom (Sellersburg,Ind./Silver Creek) finished in 38th place with a time of 29:01. Senior Alan Nordholt (Indianapolis, Ind./Perry Meridian) finished with a time of 37:24.
Head coach David Roberts was named Mid-Central College Conference Coach of the Year after leading the Knights to their first-ever MCC title.
The Knights will head to Vancouver, Wash., for the 2009 NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championships on November 21.
