MXC national championship results

Saint Leo, Fla.----The Wingate University men's cross country team made a big splash in its first-ever appearance on the NCAA's biggest stage, finishing sixth in the Division II national championship meet held on the Abbey Golf Course and Driving Range Saturday. The Bulldogs' sixth-place performance matches the best-ever finish by a South Atlantic Conference school.
 
Wingate graduate student Oliver Way led the Bulldogs with his 10K time of 31:40.6. Way finished in 45th-place Saturday. Graduate student Felix Nadeborn was next on the Wingate individual charts with his 10K time of 31:51.0. Grand Valley State won the team title for the second time in three years.
 
Meet Information

Top six teams: Grand Valley State (43 points), Adams State (84), Colorado Mines (123), Augustana (222), UC-Colorado Springs (254) and Wingate (290).
Individual finishers: 245 student-athletes representing 34 schools
Location: Abbey Golf Course and Driving Range, Saint Leo, Fla.

Inside the 10K Race Results

- Freshman Scott Nutter posted a 10K time of 31:59.1
- Sophomore Bastian Mrochen and junior Saul Valdez rounded out Wingate's top five
- Mrochen ran a 32:15.6 10K, while Valdez checked in with his 32:24.5 10K time
- Freshman Titouan Le Grix recorded a 10K time of 32:58.8
 
Notables

- In a carbon copy of the women's race, Grand Valley State had the top two finishers
- GVSU senior Isaac Harding snagged the gold medal with his triumphant time of 29:58.3
- Junior teammate Tanner Chada finished second with his 10K time of 30:07.1
- Wingate was the top team finisher from the Southeast Region
- Queens finished 20th, while Catawba claimed 33rd place
- Catawba was making its first NCAA national championship appearance
- Individually, UNC Pembroke junior Joshua Chepkesir finished ninth with his 10K time of 30:39.5
- Chepkesir was the top individual finisher from the Southeast Region

Quotables

Wingate head coach Pol Domenech: "Good outcomes are just byproducts of a process well done. All year long, we've focused on staying true to our plan, sticking to our philosophy and committing to the idea that we belonged at the top of this race…despite the fact that we've never been there previously. Regardless of the result today, Coach Matt and myself are incredibly proud of the progress this team has made this year. There will be time to look at individual performances and see where we can improve, but what we see right now is a group of individuals who dared to believe. Today, the outcome was fifth and sixth in the nation, leaving us hungry for more next year. None of this would've been possible without the support from the rest of the squad who traveled down to Florida this weekend, as well as the support from everyone back in Wingate, led by Steve Poston and Michelle Caddigan."
 
Wingate junior Saul Valdez: "Today was a pretty exciting day for everyone. We have worked very hard this year to get to this point. Today's race was a new experience for a lot of us and we are very proud of our results. We still feel like we have a lot more work to do, so we want to get back to it and come back next year to do even better. We are all very proud of being a part of this program."
 
Wingate graduate student Oliver Way: "I'm extremely proud of every single member of this team. This was an unbelievably tough race in the heat and humidity of Florida. The game plan was thrown out the window when the race set off at an extremely fast pace, but everyone persevered…getting to the finish line without collapsing was a challenge! It's been an amazing season for the team with the men going from sixth in the region in 2019 to winning Wingate's first-ever conference and regional title and finishing sixth in the nation in our first-ever time at nationals!"
 
"I want to give a big shout out to the rest of the team who drove down to Florida to support us. They are a testament to the family atmosphere we've had this season; it's been a privilege to be a part of this program with Coach Pol and Coach Matt. We believe there are exciting things to come for track season and next year!"
 
Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 24 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.