By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Fort Hays State women’s cross country team captured the team title in a field of 26 schools Friday morning (Sept. 27) at the sixth running of the Gans Creek Classic. The Tigers compiled 40 points atop their top five runners, with all five finishing inside the top 25 out of 310 runners.
Running a distance of six kilometers for the first time this season, Emily Diercks placed third overall and tops amongst NCAA DII runners with a time of 21:24.7. The junior transfer hovered around 10th place for the bulk of the race before passing nine runners over the final 2,000 meters. She ran her fastest split over the last 1,000 meters, running that distance in 3:24.1 which was the third-fastest split in the entire field all morning.
Jaycee Vath completed the race in 21:43.0, good for 13th place overall and sixth against non-NCAA Division I competition. The senior moved up in the field at each split, sitting in 20th at the 2,000-meter pole before passing seven runners the rest of the way.
Taylor Hoskinson finished close behind in 16th, crossing the line in 21:48.6. Darian Hudgeons traversed the course in 22:07.8, placing 21st. True freshman Emma Weiner rounded out the team scoring in 24th place, turning in a time of 22:09.6.
Jaynie Halterman of Taylor University, the fourth-ranked program in the country at the NAIA level, took home the individual crown with a time of 20:56.7, a time that would have been good for 41st in the NCAA DI race earlier in the day.
Fort Hays State will wrap up the regular season in two weeks (Oct. 11) at the ESU Invitational. The women’s 5K is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.
Full FHSU Results
1st – Fort Hays State – 40 points
3rd – Emily Diercks – 21:24.7
13th – Jaycee Vath – 21:43.0
16th – Taylor Hoskinson – 21:48.6
21st – Darian Hudgeons – 22:07.8
24th – Emma Weiner – 22:09.6
47th – Makenzie Premer – 22:47.7
61st – Ashlyn Harbaugh – 23:00.8
67th – Abbye Hudson – 23:09.3
76th – Brenna Murphy – 23:21.7
84th – Madison Sutterfield – 23:27.3
125th – Keziah Bachman – 23:59.6
138th – Arely Maldonado – 24:11.2
Men
The Fort Hays State men’s cross country team placed 11th in a field of 26 schools Friday morning (Sept. 27) at the sixth running of the Gans Creek Classic. The Tigers were second amongst NCAA DII competition, racking up 283 points across the top five runners. Two Tigers placed in the top 20.
Running a distance of eight kilometers for the first time this season, Jaret Pfizenmaier led the Tigers to the line, placing 16th out of 397 runners with a time of 24:42.0. The senior crossed the 1,000-meter split in 59th place but slowly climbed into the top 20, moving up in the field at each split.
Christian Darrah completed the trek in 24:49.9, placing 19th. The junior transfer moved up 10 spots over the final 3,000 meters. Ethan Fisher finished 99th, turning in a time of 25:45.1. Noah Morenz traversed the course in 26:02.0, good for 124th place. Kaiden Esfeld rounded out the team scoring, finishing 139th after crossing the line in 26:08.9.
Iowa Western Community College took the team title with 38 points, including three runners in the top six. The Rievers’ Geofrey Ronoh placed first individually with a time of 23:25.0.
Fort Hays State will wrap up the regular season in two weeks (Oct. 11) at the ESU Invitational. The men’s 8K is scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m.
Full FHSU Results
11th – Fort Hays State – 283 points
16th – Jaret Pfizenmaier – 24:42.0
19th – Christian Darrah – 24:49.9
99th – Ethan Fisher – 25:45.1
124th – Noah Morenz – 26:02.0
139th – Kaiden Esfeld – 26:08.9
157th – Brady Stegman – 26:20.4
177th – Daniel Bechle – 26:32.7
179th – Daniel Little – 26:33.1
194th – Brady Conway – 26:39.1
205th – Cole Krug – 26:46.2
209th – Chayse McCullough – 26:47.9
239th – Ian Weich – 27:11.9
251st – Elijah McCullough – 27:20.3
DNF – Cori DeBoest