Andrew Wagner paced the men’s cross country team to an impressive sixth-place finish against an eight-team field comprised entirely of Division II programs on Saturday morning at the University of Nebraska-Kearney Loper Open.
All five runners who scored for the Tigers finished in the top 30 of the 80-runner field. CC completed 8-kilometer event with 119 points, just two behind host UNK. Northern State was a distant seventh place finisher with 175 points. Colorado School of Mines won the men’s title with 21 points.
Wagner completed the Kearney Country Club course in a season-best time of 26:31.70 and became the third different runner to lead the Tigers this season.
Jackson Brainerd was just over 17 seconds behind in 21st place in a time 26:48.30. Dan Kraft gave CC three runners under the 27-minute mark with a time of 26:57.20, good for 24th place.
Colin Gazley and Max Gerken closed out Colorado College’s scoring. Gazley took 28th place in a time of 27:15.20, while Gerken came home in 30th with a 27:22.40 clocking.
CC’s five scoring runners were separated by just 50.40 seconds and 15 places in the standings.
The Tigers will have a week off before travelling to Winfield, Kan., for the Southwestern College NAIA Mid-States Classic on Oct. 25.