FINAL RESULTS
MEN’S TEAM SCORES – 1. Eastern Oregon, 48 | 2. College of Idaho, 63 | 3. Lewis-Clark State, 100 | 4. Corban, 100 | 5. Southern Oregon, 127 | 6. Oregon Tech, 142 | 7. Northwest, 158 | 8. Multnomah, 257 | 9. Evergreen, 285 | 10. Bushnell, 286 | 11. Walla Walla, 297
CALDWELL, Idaho – After a 16-year drought, the No. 6-ranked men’s cross country team in the NAIA, Eastern Oregon University took back the Cascade Collegiate Conference title at the CCC Championships, presented by U.S. Bank.
Eastern Oregon claimed its 13th championship victory, the first one since 2007, on Friday. With only one runner placing in the top eight, it was a total team effort, resulting in 48 total points and six Mounties earning All-CCC honors. Justin Ash paved the way with an impressive third place finish, completing the 8K course in a time of 24 minutes and 35.1 seconds.
Cristian Mendoza followed in ninth-place with a time of 24 minutes and 58.4 seconds. It was a tight finish with the next EOU runners as Hunter Nichols (25:00.6), Thomas Ogden (25:00.9), and Winston Telford (25:04.2) all placed 11th, 12th, and 13th, respectively. Teammate Johnny Wind (25:18.7) rounded out the all-conference honors in 15th. Longtime head coach Ben Welch was voted the CCC Men’s Coach of the Year, collecting his 20th honor.
The individual Champion was crowned 24 minutes and 25.3 seconds into the race from an incredible run by No.14-ranked Corban University’s Robert Swoboda, helping his team place fourth. With multiple CCC and NAIA weekly honors, the senior’s outstanding season will leave an impact on the highly competitive Cascade Conference. Teammate Jack Gladfelter (24:51.8) also finished fifth for the Warriors.
No. 3-ranked College of Idaho’s Daniel Butler (24:35.0) bested Ash by a photo finish to lead the Yotes to a second-place team finish. Hayden Bostrom (24:45.2) and Elias Everist (24:59.4) also earned All-CCC honors for the Yotes, finishing fourth and 10th, respectively.
No. 18-ranked Lewis-Clark State College came in third as a team by a close finish tie breaker. Kobe Wessels (24:56.3) placed seventh for the Warriors, falling behind Oregon Tech’s Jonas Hartline (24:53.3) by three seconds. Hartline placed sixth, leading OIT to a sixth-place team finish.
(RV) Southern Oregon University placed fifth as a team, being led by all-conference honorees Mason Weisgerber (24:57.1) in eighth place and Frankie Maciel (25:16.0) in 14th.
Eastern Oregon earned an automatic berth in the NAIA Championships, which the CCC is hosting in Vancouver Wash., on Nov. 17. The rest of the field, including at-large bids, will be announced next week.
ALL-CASCADE CONFERENCE (8K):
1. Robert Swoboda (CRB)- 24:25.3
2. Daniel Butler (C of I)- 24:35.0
3. Justin Ash (EOU)- 24:35.1
4. Hayden Bostrom (C of I)- 24:45.2
5. Jack Gladfelter (CRB)- 24:51.8
6. Jonas Hartline (OIT)- 24:53.3
7. Kobe Wessels (LCSC) 24:56.3
8. Mason Weisgerber (SOU) 24:57.1
9. Cristian Mendoza (EOU)- 24:58.4
10. Elias Everist (C of I)- 24:59.4
11. Hunter Nichols (EOU)- 25:00.6
12. Thomas Ogden (EOU)- 25:00.9
13. Winston Telford (EOU)- 25:04.2
14. Frankie Maciel (SOU) 25:16.0
15. Johnny Wind (EOU)- 25:18.7
COACH OF THE YEAR – Ben Welch, Eastern Oregon University