Men's Results /
Women's Results
ABILENE – Just as they did Oct. 24 at the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association championships in Emporia, Kan., the men's and women's cross country teams from Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., swept the NCAA Division II south central region titles Saturday.
The women's team coached by Patty Vavra, ranked third in the nation and first in the region, dominated the 6,000-meter race and matched its MIAA record low point total with 18 points here Saturday at Nelson Park.
Kimi Shank, senior from Rolla, Mo., led a 1-2-3 sweep by the Lions with 20 minutes, 59.05 seconds. Shank was 2009 MIAA individual champion, and last year she was runner-up at the regional meet and ninth at the NCAA championships.
Runner-up Dallas Baptist will join MSSU at the NCAA Division II national meet Saturday, Nov. 21, in Evansville, Ind.
In the more competitive men's race, the Lions edged Southwest Baptist, 56-81, for the regional title with Pittsburg State, third with 86 points, also advancing to Evansville in the men's division. Abilene Christian's Amos Sang, junior from Eldoret, Kenya, was a comfortable winner of the 10,000-meter men's race in 29:53.23, more than a minute ahead of his nearest challenger. He was the Lone Star Conference individual champion Oct. 24 in Canyon.
The MSSU men's team, coached by Tom Rutledge, is ranked 11th in the nation and first in the region.
The Lions' women's team had four of the top five and six of the top 10 runners here Saturday. Shank's teammate Ashley Siler was second in 21:18.80.
“I wanted to be in the front after the first mile,” Shank said, “but I got a little carried away. I was in front in the first K (kilometer). I just had to carry it through. It's my senior year, and I wanted to leave a great impression.
“The course was flat, and for a park it had good footing,” she added. “It's spectator friendly. People were standing around clapping, and that helps keep you awake. If I could change one thing, it would be the wind.”
Also qualifying to compete for individual honors at the national meet in the women's race were Dani Dell'Orco and Anne Ratermann from Truman State's third place team.
Lone Star Conference champion Midwestern State was eighth in the team standings, and regional host Abilene Christian was 19th. Rounding out the top 10 were Pittsburg State in fourth, Northwest Missouri in fifth, Fort Hays State in sixth, Nebraska-Omaha in seventh, Central Missouri in ninth and Emporia State in tenth.
In the men's division, Missouri Southern's top runner was seventh-place Josh Mathis in 31:40.40, but the Lions also grabbed places 9, 11, 14 and 15 to score the victory.
Abilene Christian was defending champion, but after Sang, the next closest Wildcat came across in 20th place. ACU was 10th in the team standings.
“It was a good race,” Sang said. “I had a plan, and I had to execute it. I saw my first mile was fast and nobody was close to me. I run my workouts here so I knew how to run the race with no injuries. I knew every corner. I just had to be patient and stay out there.
“When we came here this morning, it was too windy (about 27 miles per hour for the women's race and 60 degrees),” he said. “It was not as windy after the girls' race (wind about 15-20 miles per hour with temperatures climbing in to the mid-60s), but we were prepared.”
Tarleton State, runner-up at the LSC meet, was the top Lone Star Conference member in the men's standings in fourth to narrowly miss a national bid. Also in the top 10 were Cameron in fifth, Fort Hays State in sixth, Emporia State in seventh, Central Missouri in eighth and Eastern New Mexico in ninth.
In addition to runners from the top three teams, advancing to Evansville for the NCAA meet will be Sang and Laban Sialo of Central Missouri
