SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Jacob Kocis concluded his record-breaking collegiate distance running career as an All-American Sunday.

One of four Midway men's distance runners to compete in the NAIA Marathon Classic, Kocis took the runner-up spot, finishing the 26.2-mile race in 2 hours, 22 minutes, 54 seconds. He came in just 1 minute, 18 seconds behind winner Kennedy Bett of Cumberland (Tenn.).

The performance helped the Eagles earn a third-place finish as a team.

Kocis held the runner-up spot from the 10-kilometer mark all the way to the finish and closed in significantly on the leader as the race wore on.

Trailing by 4 minutes, 51 seconds at the 30-kilometer marker, he cut away substantially down the stretch, trimming the deficit to under 80 seconds at race's end. Kocis came in four minutes ahead of third-place runner Nathan Kutscher of Embry Riddle (Ariz.).

This is the second All-American finish for Kocis, the other coming in the 2023 NAIA Marathon Classic. He took second in that race as well, finishing in 2 hours, 27 minutes.

His career at Midway now over, Kocis departs having set nine program records across cross country, track and marathon. He qualified for 13 different national races and was the River States Conference Runner of the Year in both cross country and outdoor track and field in 2022.

Elsewhere, Josiah Kocis was the Eagles' second-best finisher, coming in 14th in 2:34:57. Joshua Kocis placed 31st (2:44.25) and Connor Byrd 38th (2:49.48).

SEE ALSO: Trinity Smith earns second-straight All-American finish at NAIA Marathon