Men's Cross Country sends one runner to nationals

November 15, 2003
MIAC men's cross country champion St. Thomas fell one spot short at Saturday's NCAA regional meet of qualifying a team to the NCAA Division III Championships.

The Tommies placed fourth of 22 teams with 116 points in the 8,000-meter race in Grinnell, Iowa, by finished just eight points behind third-place Loras.

Tommie senior Nate Coleman placed 11th in 25:13 and grabbed the fifth and final individual qualifying spot for the Nov. 22 national meet hosted by Hanover (Ind.) College. It will be Coleman's fourth national meet, but the Tommie team had a streak of NCAA team berths end at six.

There were six top-25 ranked teams and only three could advance to nationals. No. 12-rated Wartburg had three runners finish in the top 10 and placed first with 75. No. 7 Nebraska Wesleyan bunched five runners in a 17-second span to take second with 86. No. 25-ranked Loras had three in the top 12 to take the final qualifying spot at 108.

The 13th-ranked Tommies (116), St. Olaf (117) and No. 17 Carleton (122) and No. 20 Grinnell (165) placed 4-5-6-7 and fell just short of advancing in the team race. All three MIAC schools qualified at least one individual.
 
Following Coleman were sophomore John Schwerkoske, 21st in 25:30; senior Sean Brenckman, 23rd in 25:3; junior Brock Stepan, 26th in 25:44; reshman Will Hawthorne, 35th in 26:06; senior Tristan Christ, 39th in 26:09; and soph Derek Harmon, 61st in 26:45.

Other individuals advancing were Grinnell senior Adam Booth (second, (24:29); Carleton senior Matt Hooley (fourth, 24;45); and junior Dan Bucy (sixth, 24;57); St. Olaf junior Kelly Fulton, eighth (25:02).

see men's CC regional meet results here