WINONA LAKE – On a brisk autumn morning, the Grace College cross country teams earned eighth place in both the men’s and women’s races for the Crossroads League Championships Saturday.

The races, held at Grace’s Miller Athletic Complex, were attended by hundreds of fans and a field of over 250 runners.

“The meet itself was a big success, and we received many compliments from other coaches about the organization and condition of the course. Our grounds crew did a ton of work this week to help get things ready. Our teams were just a bit off today and finished behind some teams that we have beaten earlier in the year. With 19 first or second-year runners competing today, we’ll learn from this and continue to get better,” said head coach Jeff Raymond. “I appreciate the efforts of our three seniors – Jonathan Rex, Dustin Fletcher and Marena Lodzinski. They’ve each gone through a lot over the years and have been important contributors to our program.”

The women’s 5K kicked off the day. Katelyn McCullough led the Lady Lancers’ race, finishing in 20:04 for 31st place. She was the fifth freshman finisher in the CL in the race.

Alexis Nelson also finished with a sub-21 minute time of 20:58 for 58th place. Megan Gast, Jenna McClellan and Creigh Ogle rounded out the Lady Lancers’ scoring.

Georgianne Sandlin, Rachel Fehring and Alicia Hertzler each completed the race in under 22 minutes.

“The women’s team had everyone running for the first time since mid-September. I’m pleased with the efforts of Jenna McClellan, Tara Hamstra and Sara Hoff, who have each missed time with injuries. They fought back to compete today even though they weren’t at full strength,” Raymond continued. “Katelyn McCullough continued to lead us, placing 31st overall. I thought Georgianne Sandlin, Rachel Fehring and Alicia Hertzler also had solid races.”

The wind picked up a fair amount during the men’s 8K race. Despite well-groomed forest paths, the wind slowed the men’s runners in the open field.

Jonathan Rex had a time of 28:28 for 40th place to lead the men’s team. Brandon Smith finished 12 seconds behind Rex for Grace.

Collin Chupp (55th place) and Hunter Reed (62nd place) crossed the finish line in less than 29:30, and Tim Trapp completed the Lancers’ top five in 29:45.

“The men’s race was probably most affected by the wind. After looking at the results of many athletes, I think the wind made at least a 30-second difference per person in the overall times, and possibly as much as a minute,” Raymond said. “Unfortunately, we also had a couple of guys not feeling well during the race. With four freshmen and a sophomore in the top seven, however, I know we have some good years ahead.”

The Lancers will shift their focus quickly to next week’s NCCAA National Championships at Cedarville University.