2020 Men's XC Season Capsule
The Bearcats completed the 2020 cross country season on November 7th at the 2020 River States Conference XC Championship. Here are the top 5 headlines from the 2020 season:
The Young Bearcats Show Potential:
The Brescia University women's cross country team's season finished earlier this month on November 7th at the River States Conference Cross Country Championship hosted by the University of Rio Grande. Despite it being an unconventional season, the coaching staff feels strongly about the direction of the program moving forward.
"I am encouraged by how the team performed this season. Four of our top five guys were freshmen, so we will only get better as the team continues to progress and gain experience in the 8k," said Head Coach Luke Stoffel.
Four freshmen, Christian Leach, Jeremy White-Zavala, Wesley Abney, and Caleb Sandefur, routinely appeared in the top five scorers for the Bearcats, which further shows the team's potential moving forward.
The Bearcats placed 9th at the River States Conference Cross Country Championship, which is exactly where the team was projected to finish in the Preseason Coaches Poll.
Leach Makes Mark in All-Time Rankings:
Christian Leach, a freshman from Monroe High School in Monroe, Ohio, moved into the top 15 all-time rankings (by PR) for the 8k. In his first season competing in the 8k, he ran a PR of 28:09.70 at the Indiana Wesleyan Twilight Meet on September 11th.
His 28:09 8k places him 13th in the rankings, right between Austin Curtis' 28:09.20 (from 2012) in 12th and Cody Hybarger's 28:10.04 (from 2008) in 14th.
Brown, Walz Improve Their Position:
Two returners, Benjamin Brown and Tyler Walz, improved their overall place at the RSC Championship meet from last season.
Brown, a sophomore from Austin Catholic High School in Memphis, Michigan, drastically improved his overall placement in the conference. He moved up 17 spots, improving from 45th in 2019 to 28th in 2020.
Walz, a sophomore from Hancock County High School in Hawesville, Kentucky, moved up from 75th place at the 2019 RSC Championship to 71st in 2020.
"I'm pleased to see the growth that Ben and Tyler had this season. This wasn't a great season for PR's since we didn't go to the larger meets with faster courses this season, like Greater Louisville or the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge, but their improvement at the conference meet shows that our returning athletes still progressed from year one to year two," said Stoffel.
Bearcats Support the Community:
The team took part in a group community service project to help the community most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday, November 17th. Each member of the team wrote two letters to residents at the Owensboro Center nursing home to become penpals, totaling approximately 40 letters.
"We're all so busy with our own challenges in life that I think at times we forget how much a small gesture can mean to someone," said Assistant Coach Kyle Robinson.
Barrow Earns Champions of Character Award:
James Barrow, a sophomore from Bethlehem High School, was Brescia's representative for the River States Conference Champions of Character award.
The Champions of Character program recognizes athletes who excel in the five core values of the NAIA: Integrity, respect, servant leadership, responsibility, and sportsmanship.