The Oklahoma Christian University men’s cross-country team returned home on Saturday with the individual Heartland Conference Championship runner-up and the conference’s 2014 freshman of the year.
The Eagles finished second as a team at the 8,000-meter meet in Wichita, Kansas, after five of first-place Newman University’s runners finished in the top 10 – a result the team is not content with, according to sophomore Nathan Giles.
“The team expected a challenge but had victory in sight,” Giles said. “After a second-place finish I can say that we are not satisfied or willing to settle. The team is hungry for more.”
Oklahoma Christian clenched first place at last year’s Heartland Conference Championship, led by Bryant Keirns and Roberto Diaz, who did not race today to maintain eligibility for next season.
While the team did not reclaim their title, Giles said the team had several individual accomplishments.
“There were lots of [personal records] out there today,” Giles said. “Personally, I was very determined for this meet. Today I ran my fastest time yet.”
According to Keirns, while missing first place is disappointing, the team is still proud of the runners’ separate performances.
“Our goal is to win as a team,” Keirns said. “But as a secondary goal, we want to bring home as many individual awards as we can.”
Joining Giles for career-best times were Keirns, running a 24:48.83 and earning second in the 84-man field, and Sisay Gillock, the Heartland Conference freshman of the year, who ran a 25:52.48 and finished fourth.
Evan Durrill placed 13th with a 26:38.98, Timothy Zuercher finished 20th and Kyle Broaddrick 21st, with 27:01.28 and 27:01.33, respectively.
Blake Thompson ran a 27:17.48, earning 27th, Emory Lobley finished 31st with a 27:23.73, Giles claimed the 60th slot with his personal-best 29:31.78 and Riley Compton completed the course in 31:28.58, taking 71st place.
The Eagles’ final meet of the season is on Nov. 15 in Houghton, New York at the National Christian College Athletic Association Championship. The Eagles finished fourth last year and won in 2012.
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