Men's Cross Country | 11/05/24 | 3:45 PM
Helena, Mont. – The RV Women's Cross Country and RV Men's Cross Country Saints travel to the Frontier Conference Cross Country Championships Wednesday November 6 in Billings, Mont.
Saints Recap
At the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge last week, the women placed 13th overall and the men 14th. The men were beat out by a strong Rocky Mountain College squad and the women by both Rocky and Montana Tech, setting up a competitive meet this week at the Frontier Championships.
Zack Gacnik placed 4th overall for the men at Great Lakes and added a 4th Runner of the Week Award to his season resume, while Connor O'Hara was just outside the Top 20 in 23rd. Hannah Sempf was the top finisher for the Saints women in 47th.
Last year the Saints women won their 4th consecutive and the Saints men their 3rd consecutive Conference Championships, but both teams will be up against stiff competition this year if they hope to continue that streak. Although Great Lakes was the women's first conference loss this season, the men have beat Rocky just once in their four meetings.
Preview
The Saints will travel a full squad to Billings with 15 racing on the men's side and 12 on the women's. Zach Rector will return to action for his final Frontier Conference meet after staying home for Great Lakes. Jack Jensen, Kyle Larsen, and Brayden Sundquist will race their first 8k, and Amelia Mayes will race her first 6k.
Weather is expected to be in the low to mid-40s with light winds, but the focus will be on racing as opposed to times with the championship setting. To qualify for Nationals, the Saints will need to win on either side to receive an automatic qualifier. While teams can qualify via an at-large bid with a high enough national ranking, it does not seem likely that a 2nd place Frontier team will be rated high enough to receive a bid this season.
"We have all the pieces on both sides to have a successful day tomorrow," said Head Coach Shannon Flynn. "We're focusing on measurable actions and on digging into the heart it will take to have our very best effort out there. It's going to be an exciting day to see how we rise to the challenge!"
The women's 6k race will start at 1:00 pm at Amend Park in Billings with the men's 8k race at 1:45 pm. An awards ceremony will follow to recognize Champions of Character as well as athletic and academic awards.
Live results will be available at this LINK.
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