Finley Qualifies for Nationals with Top-10 Finish at League Meet
Ankeny–Max Finley (Fr., Richville, N.Y., Secondary Education) battled through tough conditions to extend his season one more race as the Statesmen cross country teams competed at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship Saturday.
The WPU men placed fifth out of 13 teams with 187 points, tying Park at that position. Grand View won the title with 19 points, including have five of the top seven runners, while Benedictine was a distant second with 83 points. William Penn improved one spot from the 2021 Championship.
Sam Mickelson of Grand View paced the 133 men on the 8K course, winning the race in 25:37.77.
Finley qualified for nationals, doing so with a 10th-place finish in a personal-best time of 26:26.29. He also earned first-team all-Heart recognition for his placing. The freshman will now compete for national glory at the NAIA National Championship on November 18 in Tallahassee, Fla.
Brandon Williams (So., Fountain, Colo., Civil Engineering) may be joining his teammate in Florida, after posting his own personal-best time of 26:40.84. He took 13th overall, which currently leaves him one spot out of qualifying, but if Benedictine qualifies as an at-large squad (final poll comes out on Monday), then Williams will also get his ticket punched.
Williams’ 13th-place finish netted him honorable-mention all-Heart honors.
Jonah Heckenberg (Jr., Stockport, Iowa, Business Management) had another strong finish, ending up 30th at 27:34.13. William De Jesus (Sr., Homestead, Fla., Biology) was next in 70th in a time of 29:11.70, while DaMonte Sherod (Jr., Florissant, Mo., Mechanical Engineering) rounded out the team scoring in a time of 30:36.36 (99th).
Ethan Varvelo (Fr., Channelview, Texas, Engineering) paced the remaining Statesmen harriers in 115th at 31:47.42.
“From top to bottom, the men ran with guts and pride,” Head Coach Caleb Drake said. “We even had a couple PRs out there! We finished one place higher than last year, with one national qualifier and the potential for a second. The guys did a great job of moving the team and program forward this season. A new standard has been set and we will continue to build off this season.”
The William Penn women also improved one rung from last fall, placing 10th out of 13 teams with 290 points. Benedictine, with all of its scorers in the top 10, took the team crown with 29 points, while Mount Mercy was second with 106 points.
Morgan Lawson of Grand View earned the individual title with a time of 18:30.55.
Elizabeth Hele (Sr., Victorville, Calif., Biology) and Michaela Kmiec (Sr., Centerville, Texas., Exercise Science) ended up side by side at the finish line with Hele taking 54th (out of 108 runners) in 22:01.86, while Kmiec was 55th in 22:01.87.
Delana Jordan (Sr., Addison, Texas., Business Management) was just a few placings back in 62nd in a time of 22:31.85, while Ameline Garza (Fr., Edinburg, Texas, Sociology), in 83rd at 23:54.75, and Roselaure Fuller (So., Pella, Iowa, Nursing), in 89th at 25:14.48, concluded WPU’s scoring.
“Our ladies competed hard with our top individuals putting together great races, given the conditions,” Drake said. “I am proud of the work they put in this season and excited about the future of the program.”
“We had some unique weather conditions for the conference meet today,” Drake said. “Stiff wind and rainy, and a course that was soft and muddy; it was good weather to just go compete and see who has the most guts.”
