UNK Cross Country Places Top Ten in Greeno/Dirksen Invite

LINCOLN – The nationally-ranked Nebraska Kearney cross country teams placed third (men) and seventh (women) at the annual Greeno/Dirksen Invitational Saturday morning in Lincoln.

The large meet featured a women’s 5k and a men’s 8k with the festivities being held at Mahoney G.C.  

The 23rd-ranked men tallied had all five of its scorers crack the top 15 to help the team score 51 points. The field consisted of 31 teams and well over 350 finishers. UNK came in ahead of Division I members Nebraska, Creighton, Iowa State, Wichita State and Northern Colorado as well as MIAA rival Northwest Missouri State. Kansas tallied 29 points to edge Drake (31) for first place.

On the women’s side, the 27th-ranked Lopers had its scorers all in the top 32 to finish seventh in a field of 27 (109 points). UNK came in ahead of, among others, Creighton, Nebraska-Omaha, Northern Colorado and Northwest Missouri. No. 4 Winona State (22) won with Iowa State (52) the runner up and NAIA No. 6 St. Mary of Kansas third (55). The ‘Huskers came in fourth (62).

Omaha sophomore Nick Abdalla (11th/24:18.6) once again led the men’s cause with Iowa junior Myles Bach (24:28.8) six spots back. Colby C.C.’s Kgadi Moneybodi won in a time of 23:31.7. UNK’s other scorers were Kansas junior Brett Schoenhofer (25th/24:47.7), David City junior Payton Davis (27th/24:54.8) and Blair junior Sam Lueders (33rd/25:02.3) with Cortland junior Zach Van Brocklin close behind (38th/25:11.6).

In a field of over 300, Fremont junior Mara Hemmer (35th/18:14.2) led UNK once again. She was followed next by Kearney junior Grace Bonsall (52nd/18:29.7) and Albion junior Jordan Soto-Stopak (61st/18:37.2). WSU’s Lindsay Cunningham (16:07.2) and Kaylee Beyer (16:55.2) were first and second, respectively.

Rounding out UNK’s top five this week were York sophomore Brynn Hirschfeld (64th/18:38.8) and Ella Buhlke (84th/19:08.3).

The Lopers head to another large meet, the annual Chile Pepper Festival at Arkansas, on Sept. 29.