SXU Athletics
Women’s
On Nov. 8, the women competed in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference out at Wing Park in Elgin, Ill.
A total of one hundred runners from twelve different schools ran the 5k, all hoping for a high enough finish to qualify for the NAIA Cross Country National Championships.
The Cougars had just as good of a chance as any of the other twelve schools to move onto the championship race, but unfortunately, their story does not have a happy ending.
As per usual, junior Ann Kolker turned in a stellar performance for the Cougars. Kolker placed 22nd with a time of 19:41.71.
Up next for Saint Xavier, freshman Alondra Delfin crossed the finish line at 20:33.28, giving her a 33rd place finish.
Right behind Delfin was sophomore Nicole Watkins, who placed 36th with a time of 20:35.23.
51st place was reserved for senior Ali Proffitt and her time of 21:17.27.
And the last notable finisher for the Cougars was sophomore Courtney Correa. She placed 54th overall with a time of 21:50.50.
While the Cougars did not qualify to compete in the NAIA Championships, this has been a strong season for the Cougars.
Kolker continued to prove herself as a force to be reckoned with in the NAIA, continuously being the top Saint Xavier finisher throughout the majority of the women’s races this year.
And first year runners like Delfin, Jocelyn Camacho, and Diondria Woodhouse showed promise and maturity, which will help benefit the Cougars throughout the next few years as they try to become NAIA champions.
The season may be over for now, but the Cougars have a lot of work to do in the offseason.
Looking towards next season, the women’s team look fairly stacked against the other teams within the NAIA.
Kolker, Watkins, and Correa need to continue their dominance that developed throughout the course of these past few months.
Over the past few years, head coach Nancy Ebel and assistant coach Natalie Norkiewicz have picked up some amazing recruits from various high schools that have proven to be great collegiate runners.
Thankfully, the track and field season is right around the corner…which will fulfill all of our needs for Cougar running while we wait until next fall’s season to start.
SXU Athletics
Men’s
Also competing in the CCAC Championships back on Nov. 8 was the Saint Xavier University’s men’s cross country team.
Just like most of their races this season, the men ran the 8k and were keeping their fingers crossed for victory.
For the first time all season, the Cougars had enough men to compete in the race, giving them a chance to qualify as a team for the NAIA Championships.
Starting the Cougars off on a positive note was junior standout, Janis Pastars. Pastars finished with a time of 26:52.09, landing him in 26th place.
Senior Kyle Counter crossed the finish line next, right behind Pastars, coming in at 28th overall.
Lastly, packing a one-two punch, were Alex Ray and Victor Solis, placing 57th and 58th, respectively. Their times were 28:08.62 and 28:09.18.
The men’s team may not have qualified for the NAIA National Championships, but they had a lot to be proud of in this race and over the course of the season.
Counter was able to finish out his last year of cross country running with strong times, Ray proved his dependability and growth as a runner, and Pastars continued his dominance from last season.
Look towards next season, there are a few improvements that the men’s team needs to make in order to actually be competitors within the NAIA.
Pastars and Solis will take over for Counter in terms of senior leadership, but the Cougars need consistency from Ray.
Head coach Kyle Rago also needs to work hard in regards to recruitment. With a few more runners on the team, the Cougars would be able to qualify as a team rather than just compete as individual runners.
Nevertheless, both cross country teams have a lot to be proud of this year and we at the Xavierite wish them all the best for next season.
Torie Bolster
Sports Editor