WILMINGTON, Ohio — The Midway University men's and women's cross-country teams returned to competition Friday afternoon at the Jenna Strong Fall Classic, hosted by Wilmington College.
The women's team turned in a strong performance, finishing fourth out of 17 scoring teams, while the men's team placed ninth out of 18 scoring teams in the Jim Boland Men's 8K.
Senior Lexus Ralph led the Eagles in the women's 5K, finishing seventh overall with a time of 19:43.1. On the men's side, junior Riley Morris led Midway with a 46th-place finish in 27:25.7.
WOMEN'S 5K
Midway finished fourth overall with 129 points, edging fifth-place Hanover College by just two points.
Georgetown College claimed the team championship with 64 points, followed by Rio Grande with 92 and the University of Findlay with 103.
Ralph led the Eagles with a seventh-place finish in a field of 129 finishers. The senior completed the 5K course in 19:43.1, averaging 6:20.8 per mile.
Sophomore Katelynn Gaddis followed with another strong performance, finishing 14th overall in 19:57.6. Gaddis averaged 6:25.4 per mile, giving Midway two runners inside the top 15.
Junior Ariah Egleston was the third Eagle to cross the finish line, placing 22nd overall with a time of 20:24.7.
Senior Stevie McSorley added a 41st-place finish, completing the race in 21:00.8.
Sophomore Emma Lesher rounded out Midway's five scoring runners, finishing 63rd overall with a time of 22:16.8.
Sophomore Andrea Smith also competed for the Eagles, placing 76th with a time of 23:10.2.
Midway's five scoring runners combined for a time of 1:43:23, averaging 20:40 per runner.
MEN'S 8K
The Midway men's team finished ninth overall in the Jim Boland Men's 8K, scoring 229 points.
The Eagles tied Wittenberg University in points, with Wittenberg earning eighth place in the official standings.
The University of Findlay won the team championship with 43 points, finishing ahead of Rio Grande, which also scored 43 points. Shawnee State placed third with 125 points.
Morris led the Eagles, finishing 46th overall with a time of 27:25.7. The junior averaged 5:31.0 per mile.
Sophomore Jonathan Kocis was Midway's second finisher, placing 50th overall in 27:35.4.
Senior Adam Higgs followed in 72nd place with a time of 28:04.5, while freshman Chance Collins finished 75th in 28:10.3.
Sophomore Finley Mayoh rounded out Midway's five scoring runners, placing 83rd overall with a time of 28:27.3.
Senior Connor Byrd finished 93rd in 28:50.2, while freshman Jesse Madden followed in 97th with a time of 28:56.5.
Freshman Aiden Forthman and junior Lance Logan both finished in 30:09.3, placing 128th and 129th, respectively.
Sophomore Noah Hampton also competed for the Eagles, finishing 150th overall with a time of 31:19.2.
Midway's five scoring runners combined for a time of 2:19:43, averaging 27:56 per runner.
UP NEXT
Both Men and Women's Cross Country teams will travel to Tennessee next week to participate in the NAIA Appalachian Challenge.
About Midway University Athletics
Midway University competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), and its 29 athletic teams are part of the River States Conference, Mid-South Conference, Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association and USA Archery. For more information about Midway University Athletics, please visit www.gomidwayeagles.com or contact Tyler Beck at 859-846-5366.
