Expectations were as high as ever for the Colorado College men's cross country team entering the 2019 season.
 
The team lost just one senior from the top seven of the 2018 squad that lost by a mere six points to Trinity at the SCAC Championship Meet. That, along with the return of 2017 SCAC Runner of the Year Max Blackburn and the 2019 meet being held in Colorado Springs, was enough for the Tigers to believe they could capture their first SCAC title in three years.
 
Led by individual champion and SCAC Runner of the Year Tony Calderon, CC placed six runners in the top 10 and finished with 21 points, 30 points better than two-time defending champion Trinity University.   
 
Calderon set the pace from the opening gun and never looked back. He recorded CC's 11th individual victory at the SCAC meet since the Tigers joined the conference in 2006 and breezed through the 8K course in a time of 25 minutes, 27.9 seconds. Blackburn was right on his heels for the entire race and finished second with a time of 25:50.2.
 
Senior Jack Williams led a pack of four Tigers with a fifth-place finish in 26:37.5, followed by sophomore Sam Rodriguez in sixth (26:47.2), sophomore Josh Fry in seventh (26:47.3) and junior Paul Olsen in eighth (26:47.3). Junior Andrew West finished 14^th (27:21.5) to capture the final all-conference spot.
 
Freshman Will Foster placed 15^th and was named the league's Newcomer of the Year.
 
Calderon then achieved his personal goal for the season by finishing 14^th at the DIII West Regional Championships and qualifying for the NCAA Division III National Championship Meet. Calderon finished the 8K race with a time of 25:48.20 and became the first CC runner to advance to the national meet since Peter Callan in 2016. Williams was CC's second-best runner at the regional meet, finishing 24^th in a time of 26:18.30 and earning all-region honors.
 
CC's fifth-place finish is the best since the 2011 squad tied for the regional championship.

Calderon, the team's Most Valuable Runner for the second consecutive year, finished in 195th place at the national meet, completing the 8K course in 26 minutes, 4.1 seconds.
 
"Tony ran a gutsy race," head coach Ted Castaneda said. "He achieved his goal of running at the national meet and capped his great career by running his heart out on a muddy field."
 

2019 Men's Cross Country Awards
Most Valuable Runner – Tony Calderon
Most Improved Runner – Josh Fry and Sam Rodriguez
Rookie Award – Will Foster
Most Inspirational Award – Sam Rodriguez and Paul Olsen
SCAC All-Sportsmanship Team – Emerson Worrell