By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
JOPLIN, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s cross country team posted a solid performance at the 2021 NCAA DII Central Region Championships Saturday morning (Nov. 6) at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course, finishing seventh out of 31 schools. Senior Robbie Schmidt earned All-Region honors after finishing 12th individually.
The Tigers finished fifth amongst MIAA competition two weeks after they finished seventh at the league championships. FHSU finished one spot ahead of Northwest Missouri State, the 29th-ranked team in the country.
Schmidt, the lone Tiger to compete in a collegiate 10K before Saturday, set a new PR by one minute, 40 seconds after crossing the line in 30:08.99. Grant Bradley was the next Tiger across the line, finishing 40th with a time of 31:20.85.
Jaret Pfizenmaier completed the race in 31:51.00, good for 60th, with Erick Estrada finishing just behind in 61st in 31:51.52. Javyn Contreras rounded out the Tiger top five in 71st place with a time of 32:05.61.
Augustana took home the regional title with 43 points after placing three runners in the top 10, while Missouri Southern’s Ryan Riddle took home the individual title on his home course with a time of 29:22.3.
The Tigers have now finished in the top 10 in the region 12 times during Dr. Jason McCullough‘s 16-season tenure at FHSU.
The Tigers will now await the announcement of the full field selected to compete in the NCAA DII Championships, scheduled to be released on Monday (Nov. 8). Eight of the top 12 runners were on teams that earned automatic qualification, while top two individuals not on those teams also earn a trip to Saint Leo, Fla. This puts Schmidt second in line for a potential at-large bid, with a minimum of eight runners from across the country will be selected based off their performance at the regional meet.
Full FHSU Results
7th – Fort Hays State – 244 points
12th – Robbie Schmidt – 30:08.99
40th – Grant Bradley – 31:20.85
60th – Jaret Pfizenmaier – 31:51.00
61st – Erick Estrada – 31:51.52
71st – Javyn Contreras – 32:05.61
104th – Aaron Mangan – 32:46.22
107th – Gavin Brady – 32:48.74
Women
The Fort Hays State women’s cross country team
ran its way to a ninth-place finish at the 2021 NCAA DII Central Region
Championships Saturday morning (Nov. 6) at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country
Course. The Tigers defeated 26 teams in the field while placing fifth amongst
MIAA competition two weeks after finishing sixth at the league championships.
Six of the seven Tigers set new personal-bests at the six-kilometer distance.
Brooke
Navarro led the Tigers with a 28th-place finish after
completing the race in 21:51.56, improving her PR by more than 30 seconds. Abigail
Stewart placed 53rd in the 237-runner field after crossing the
line in 22:18.36, 25 seconds ahead of her previous 6K PR.
Emily
Salmans ran more than one minute faster than her time at the
MIAA Championships two weeks ago after placing 62nd with a time of 22:28.50. Halle
Johnson shaved more than a minute and a half off her best 6K,
finishing 81st with a mark of 22:53.52. Jaycee
Vath finished just behind in 82nd with a time of 22:57.4, more
than one minute faster than her previous best 6K.
Augustana took home the regional title with 33 points after placing four
runners in the top 10, while Winona State’s Lindsay Cunningham was the top
individual with a time of 20:22.6.
The Tigers have now finished in the top 10 in the region 10 times during Dr.
Jason McCullough‘s 16-season tenure at FHSU.
The Tigers will now await the announcement of the full field selected to
compete in the NCAA DII Championships, scheduled to be released on Monday (Nov.
8).
Full FHSU Results
9th – Fort Hays State – 306 points
28th – Brooke
Navarro – 21:51.56
53rd – Abigail
Stewart – 22:18.36
62nd – Emily
Salmans – 22:28.50
81st – Halle
Johnson – 22:53.52
82nd – Jaycee
Vath – 22:57.37
110th – Mya
Navarro – 23:12.14
159th – Carson
Pierce – 24:14.40