Three Peat: WVU Tech wins third straight RSC Men's Cross Country Championship
Three Peat: WVU Tech wins third straight RSC Men's Cross Country Championship
FINAL RESULTS
RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- WVU Tech made it a three-peat with Saturday's victory at the 2020 River States Conference Men's Cross Country Championship hosted by the University of Rio Grande (Ohio). The Golden Bears earned three all-conference selections on the way to their third conference title in a row.
WVU Tech scored 57 points, which came out on top of the field of 12 schools. The Golden Bears had all five of their scorers come in among the top 26 runners in the race, which had 86 runners in all. With the win, WVU Tech earned automatic qualification to the NAIA National Championship in the spring as the RSC champion.
Point Park (Pa.) University placed runner-up with 81 points. It was the fourth year in a row in second place for the Pioneers, who had a pair of all-conference selections on their way to NAIA qualification as conference runner-up.
Indiana University Kokomo placed third with 102 points, Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College was fourth with 111 points followed by Rio Grande in fifth with 120 and Midway (Ky.) University in sixth with 172 to complete the top half of the standings.
WVU Tech senior Michael Ecker-Randolph won the RSC individual championship and RSC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year for the second year in a row. He completed the 8,000-meter race in 26 minutes, 37 seconds to win by 26 seconds. WVU Tech head coach Jeremy Bloom was voted RSC Coach of the Year.
The top seven individuals were named to the All-RSC First Team. WVU Tech's Nathan Morton (27:31) placed fourth to join teammate Ecker-Randolph on that list. Finishers eight through 14 were placed on the All-RSC Second Team with WVU Tech getting Gregory Panther (28:19) in eighth place.
Point Park's national qualification featured Treven Carter (28:17) on the first team in seventh place and Dylan Allen (28:20) on the second team in ninth.
The top six finishers not from NAIA team qualifiers WVU Tech or Point Park earned individual bids to nationals. That included overall runner-up and RSC Newcomer of the Year Cody Booth (27:03) in second place from Rio Grande, Drake Dickerson (27:24) in third place from Ohio Christian University, Chance Klipstine (27:41) in fifth from Indiana University East, Jacob Kocis (27:58) in sixth from Midway (Ky.) University and Ryan Morris (28:23) and Anthony Hidalgo (28:24) in 10th and 11th from Alice Lloyd (Ky.).
The RSC Champions of Character Team was also named with one member of each team selected for best representing the NAIA five character values: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship.
RSC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Runner of the Year -- Michael Ecker-Randolph (WVU Tech)
Newcomer of the Year -- Cody Booth (Rio Grande)
Coach of the Year -- Jeremy Bloom (WVU Tech)
ALL-RSC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY FIRST TEAM
1. Michael Ecker-Randolph (WVU Tech) -- 26:37
2. Cody Booth (Rio Grande) -- 27:03**
3. Drake Dickerson (Ohio Christian) -- 27:24**
4. Nathan Mortan (WVU Tech) -- 27:31
5. Chance Klipstine (IU East) -- 27:41**
6. Jacob Kocis (Midway) -- 27:58**
7. Treven Carter (Point Park) -- 28:17
ALL-RSC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SECOND TEAM
8. Gregory Panther (WVU Tech) -- 28:19
9. Dylan Allen (Point Park) -- 28:20
10. Ryan Morris (Alice Lloyd) -- 28:23**
11. Anthony Hildalgo (Alice Lloyd) -- 28:24**
12. Austin Setty (Rio Grande) -- 28:36
13. Chest Mientkiewicz (Ohio Christian) -- 28:39
14. Cuatecatl Hernandez (IU Kokomo) -- 28:40
**NAIA individual qualifier
RSC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER TEAM
Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College -- Ryan Morris
Asbury (Ky.) University -- Ryan Wall
Brescia (Ky.) University -- James Barrow
Carlow (Pa.) University -- Joey Palmieri
Indiana University East -- Luke Roland
Indiana University Kokomo -- Carson Pocock
Midway (Ky.) University -- Luke Logan
Oakland City (Ind.) University -- Dillon Riddel
Ohio Christian University -- Drake Dickerson
Point Park (Pa) University -- Dylan Allen
University of Rio Grande (Ohio) -- Dean Freitag
WVU Tech -- Aidan Hearne