Cross Country: RSC Championships Recap
KOKOMO, Ind. - The Indiana University East cross country program celebrated a historic moment on Saturday, Nov. 5.
IU East's men's team captured the first River States Conference Championship in school history during the event hosted by IU Kokomo, while the women's squad finished in fifth.
"With the weather, times weren't going to be great for anyone, but we stayed true to what we are all about which is the pack," IU East coach Cam Tiberg said after the runners competed in 30 MPH winds. "Our guys were aggressive in the pack throughout the race and it accounted for seven runners being named to either first team or second team all-conference."
Next up for IU East is a trip to Florida as the Red Wolves qualified for the NAIA Cross Country National Championships in Tallahassee on Nov. 18.
With the Red Wolves receiving votes in a recent men's national poll, IU East finished with 36 points to grab first out of 10 teams with IU Kokomo in second with 73.
On the women's side, the Red Wolves had 121 points as Point Park University won the title with 44 in the 10-team affair.
"The women ran really hard and ran smart as they made a lot of movement towards the middle of the race to reach the Top 5," Tiberg said.
All-Conference
Tucker Burris (fourth, 27:08.80), Teagen Rodriguez (fifth, 27:19.20) and Richard Bower (seventh, 27:31.80) each finished in the Top Seven to earn RSC First Team in the men's 8K race.
Finishing from eighth to 14th allowed Wyatt Beck (ninth, 27:35.30), Chance Klipstine (11th, 27:42.30), Mylan Nocton (13th, 27:53.50) and Braden Coate (14th, 27:59.00) to make the RSC Second Team.
The others finishing for the men were Kyle Stanley (16th, 28:06.40), Cameron Nocton (20th, 28:15.00), Erick Gallardo Cortes (21st, 28:16.90), DeAndre Hall (28th, 28:43.30), Dixon Minton (30th, 28:50.40), AJ Ludwig (54th, 30:34.50), Trevor Bowers (58th, 30:48.70), Elijah Hannah (60th, 30:55.10), Brice Kennedy (63rd, 31:12.90) and Austin Wenta (66th, 31:25.70).
Savannah Hart led the IU East women as she was 15th with a time of 20:45.90 just one spot off the all-conference list. Julia Arruda was right behind Hart in 16th with a 20:52.90.
Also competing for the IU East women were Hannah Best (29th, 21:42.70), Maddy Wolf (31st, 21:54.80), Sarah Kwiatkowski (33rd, 22:03.60), Macy Adams (36th, 22:30.00), Alexis Dean (41st, 22:51.90), Abby Page (42nd, 22:58.20) and Selena Pinon (47th, 23:18.10).
RSC Awards
Tiberg was selected as the RSC Coach of the Year for the men, while Kwiatkowski and Caden Shumaker were each named IU East's RSC Champions of Character.