COLUMBIA, Mo. — Eastern Oregon University's men's and women's cross country teams capped off their seasons with impressive finishes at the NAIA Cross Country Championships on Friday. The men's team secured an 11th-place finish with 347 points, while the women's squad placed 25th with 650 points, marking the best overall 6K team time in program history.
The men were led by senior Justin Ash, who delivered a stellar performance, finishing ninth overall with a time of 24:00.0 to earn NAIA All-American honors for the second consecutive year. His time also places Ash in a tie for second all-time in the program's record books, matching Don Stearns record in 1982.Joining him in the scoring lineup were Cristian Mendoza (52nd, 24:52.9), Grady Greenwood (71st, 24:58.3), Jonathan Wind (122nd, 25:18.4), and George Showers (184th, 25:40.3). Thomas Ogden (201st, 25:52.1) and Trevor Nichols (214th, 25:56.9) rounded out the Mountaineers' lineup in the 8K race.
"Justin ran a fantastic race," said Head Coach Ben Welch. "This was a very deep year from a talent standpoint."
On the women's side, Eastern Oregon claimed 25th place behind standout performances from Kaleah Hines (143rd, 23:09.1) and Kiah Carlson (149th, 23:12.4). Rounding out the scoring five were Sadie McCoy (164th, 23:17.5), Mattie Woodbury (166th, 23:19.1), and Riley Morris (184th, 23:26.7). Madelyn Nichols (268th, 24:41.6) and Arianna Worden (301st, 26:12.6) also contributed to the Mountaineers' historic team effort.
"The course was challenging but quite fast," added Welch. "I am extremely proud of both teams for today and the entire season."
Men's Results (8K – 11th Place, 347 Points):
Women's Results (6K – 25th Place, 650 Points):
