Three all-league awards, two top-five team finishes spotlight GPACs
ORANGE CITY, IOWA – The senior trio of Emalee Fundermann (Anthon, Iowa), Jo McKibben (Mapleton, Iowa), and Kristine Honomichl (Westminster, Colo.) added more hardware to their already well-stocked award cadres Saturday, Nov. 6.
Fundermann, the top finisher for head coach Dave Nash's Morningside University women's team at the 2021 Great Plains Athletic Conference Championships, earned her third all-conference award, crossing the finish line at 19:06.34. Honomichl, also picking up a first five slot, raced to a 19:15.08 for fifth and her second all-GPAC medal. McKibben rounded out Mustangs all-loop accolades with a sixth-place ending (19:19.7) which was her second all-conference merit, too.
Nash's women's team battled Hastings College tooth and nail around the Landsmeer Golf Course layout. The Broncos edged them 77-79 for runner-up honors, while Dordt University's impressive 2021 resumed with the team title (54 points).
Morningside University's men also found themselves part of the first five landscape. Their 140 points put them less than 20 behind perennial league power Concordia University for fourth. Dordt University's juggernaut run through 2021 continued as the Defenders swept the top six individual places to capture the GPAC trophy.
Junior Justin Ambrose (Dunlap, Iowa) led the way, taking 25th (28:02.69), followed by senior Ro Paschal (Mancos, Colo.) (No. 27 – 28:04.13). Fellow seniors Garrett Hanson (Sioux City, Iowa (28th – 28:16.44) and Zach Ambrose (Dunlap, Iowa) (33rd – 28:40.06) added their credentials to the top 35 rolls.
Mside's women now await their fate regarding the announcement of the 2021 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics' national field, slated for late Sunday, Nov. 7/early Monday, Nov. 8.