Cross country competes at last regular-season meet

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Hannah Renton

Members of Loyola’s men’s cross country huddle at a meet. Today the men competed in the NAIA Mid-States Classic. File Photo.

Jabez Berniard, Sports Editor

Today the men’s and women’s cross country teams participated in their final regular season meet of the season. 

The teams traveled to Winfield, Kansas for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Mid-States Classic. The women’s team finished in 12th in the 5-kilometer race and the men’s team in eighth in the 8-kilometer race. 

Junior Madisyn Acosta had the best individual time for the women’s team, recording a 20:17:7 finish. This was a new personal best for Acosta and enough for a 40th place out of 182 runners. 

In the men’s 8K, senior Hayden Ricca led with a 14th place finish and a time of 26:15:9. He was joined in the top 50 by senior Christian Hanson who ran a 27:44:0 and  finished in 42nd place.

According to Wolf Pack Athletics, Ricca’s 8K time is the 10th fastest time in program history. This marks his fourth finish in the school’s top 10. 

The Southern States Athletic Conference Championships is scheduled for Nov. 5. The NAIA National Championships follows on Nov. 19. d