In the team standings, Malone (Ohio) won its third consecutive title, earning 44 team points at the 2009 NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championships, from the Fort Vancouver Historical Site on Saturday. The Pioneers defeated second-place Concordia (Neb.) by 122 points.
Complete Results
Two runners will represent Grand View at the championships. Sophomore Obsie Birru (Des Moines, Iowa) will compete in the women's race and senior Bichok Deng (Des Moines, Iowa) in the men's race Both qualified for the NAIA National Championships via the MCC Championships in which Birru won and Deng placed third. It is Birru's second trip to nationals; she placed 18th in 2008.
Thirty-two women's teams, including 23 conference/independent/unaffiliated champions, two conference runners-up, six at-large bids, one host berth and 117 individual qualifiers, will run in the 5K race.
The men's 8K race will also welcome 32 teams, including 22 conference/independent/unaffiliated champions, eight at-large bids, one conference runner-up, one host berth and 102 individual qualifiers.
The men's cross country team placed 3rd out of 7 teams at the MCC Conference Championships on Saturday morning at the Lacey Sports Complex in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
The Vikings were led by senior Bichok Deng (Des Moines, Iowa) as he crossed the finish line in third place overall earning him a trip to the NAIA National Championships in Vancouver, Washington, on November 21st. Nick Newbury (13th), Alan Paton (23rd), Austin Ward (25th), and Drew Messerschmidt (31st) rounded out the Vikings top five finishers. St. Ambrose took first place honors with 29 points, followed by Mount Mercy with 64, and Grand View with 89 points.
The Grand View men's cross country team travelled to Graceland University in Lamoni, IA on Saturday morning. The Vikings finished ninth at the Graceland University Invitational and were led by a 20th place finish from Bichok Deng. Deng ran a time of 27:46, while Nick Newbury finished 53rd with a time of 29:25.
Other Grand View runners' results from Graceland University Invitational:
Taelor Bohnsack, 30:17, 68th place
Alan Paton, 30:39, 70th place
Austin Ward, 30:43, 71st place
Nick Newcomb, 30:52, 75th place
Derek Barnett, 32:32, 90th place
Nick Olson, 32:36, 91st place
The Vikings men's cross country team took to the road this weekend as they ran in the William Penn Invitational on the campus of William Penn University in Oskaloosa, IA. Seven different teams competed in the Saturday morning event and the Vikings took home third place with 79 points. Grand View finished behind
Placing fifth among the 69 runners was Grand View senior Bichok Deng. Deng ran a season's best time of 27:20 for the 8k run. Six other Grand View runners finished the 8k race with personal best times. Finishing in the 12th place for the Vikings was Nick Newbury with a personal best time of 28:08. Drew Messerschmidt, also running a personal best, finished Saturday with a time of 28:24 placing him 16th. In 25th place was junior Alan Paton with a time of 28:50, while freshman Austin Ward ran a personal best time of 28:58 for 27th place.
