By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Fort Hays State’s Regan Hodsden won the 2023 MIAA Women’s Cross Country Championship Friday afternoon (Oct. 20), helping the Tigers to a third-place team finish. Two other Tigers joined Hodsden on the All-MIAA podium, with Jaycee Vath placing third to pick up first team honors and Darian Hudgeons placing 20th to receive honorable mention status for the second year in a row.
Hodsden is the second Tiger to win an individual conference title, and the first to do so on the women’s team (Cory Keehn, 2012). The Tigers’ third-place finish matches their second-best finish at the MIAA meet since joining the league in 2006.
A native of Mitchell, Neb., Hodsden continued a dominant season, winning her third race in as many tries. The 2022 XC All-American won the six-kilometer race in 21:29.8, finishing seven seconds in front of her nearest competitor.
Vath’s third-place finish made Fort Hays State the only school with multiple finishers inside the top five. The Lincoln, Kan. native shaved more than 19 seconds off her personal-best 6K time, completing the race in 21:43.0. Hudgeons grabbed the final all-conference spot with a time of 22:29.6.
Abbye Hudson slotted 37th after completing the race in 23:12.7, with Hattie Lukert rounding out the Tiger top five in 46th place with a time of 23:45.2.
Pittsburg State captured the team title with 57 team points, placing five runners inside the top 24.
Fort Hays State will now take two weeks to prepare for the 2023 NCAA Division II Central Region Championships, slated for Saturday, November 4 in Joplin, Mo.
Full FHSU Results
3rd – Team – 105 points
1st – Regan Hodsden – 21:29.8
3rd – Jaycee Vath – 21:43.0
20th – Darian Hudgeons – 22:29.6
37th – Abbye Hudson – 23:12.7
46th – Hattie Lukert – 23:45.2
54th – Faith Little – 24:03.6
60th – Ashlyn Harbaugh – 24:26.6
72nd – Madison Sutterfield – 24:53.8
82nd – Amelia Foster – 26:11.8
Brenna Murphy – DNF
Men
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Fort Hays State men’s cross country team placed eighth at the 2023 MIAA Championships, held Friday afternoon (Oct. 20) at Gans Creek Cross Country Course. Grant Bradley was the top finisher for the Tigers, earning first-team All-MIAA status with a ninth-place finish.
Bradley completed the eight-kilometer race in 24:45.9, picking up all-conference status for the first time in his cross-country career and the fourth time including track and field. Corbin Ricke was 29th overall, crossing the finish line in 25:39.7, with Jaret Pfizenmaier placing 41st with a time of 25:58.4. Kaiden Esfeld completed the race in 26:17.9, good for 56th place, while Noah Morenz was close behind in 59th with a time of 26:25.2.
Pittsburg State captured the team title with 67 team points, while Washburn’s David Kibet took home the individual title with a time of 24:01.0.
Fort Hays State will now take two weeks to prepare for the 2023 NCAA Division II Central Region Championships, slated for Saturday, November 4 in Joplin, Mo.
Full FHSU Results
8th – Team – 191 points
9th – Grant Bradley – 24:45.9
29th – Corbin Ricke – 25:39.7
41st – Jaret Pfizenmaier – 25:58.4
56th – Kaiden Esfeld – 26:17.9
59th – Noah Morenz – 26:25.2
62nd – Carsyn Turpin – 26:28.0
70th – Javyn Contreras – 26:46.0
79th – Brady Stegman – 27:09.2
88th – Trever Medina – 27:34.4
97th – Ethan Fisher – 28:24.3