Veterans guide Morningside to open busy span
MCCOOK LAKE, S.D. – Morningside University's men's and women's cross country teams placed three individuals among their respective top 20s Friday, Oct. 1.
Battling a multi-divisional field that included National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I programs the University of South Dakota and South Dakota State and the likes of NCAA Division II University of Nebraska at Kearney, head coach Dave Nash's squads turned in impressive results. The women nearly accomplished the feat of being the highest-finishing Great Plains Athletic Conference program, pushing perennial league power Concordia University to a 128-140 final for a slot in the first four. Mside's men were less than 35 points short of putting themselves in the first five.
The upperclasswoman duo of seniors Kristine Honomichl (Westminster, Colo.) and Jo McKibben (Mapleton, Iowa) ran into the best 20. Honomichl, placing 14th, clocked an 18:41.07, suitable for a 5K career personal best, and McKibben crossed in 18:49.06, earning her a 19th place effort and career personal-best. Emalee Fundermann (Anthon, Iowa), another member of the Class of 2022, was the third-lowest Mustang finisher, ending 29th (19:16.17).
Morningside's men were led by senior Ro Paschal (Mancos, Colo.). He was just off the pace of being a second GPAC runner in the first 10, taking 11th (26:12.17). Fellow senior Zach Ambrose (Dunlap, Iowa) wound up 26th (27:12).
Mside continues along a hectic three-weekend stretch Saturday, Oct. 9. They're among the field at the Dordt University Invitational in Sioux Center.
