KWU Athletics
HUTCHINSON – The Kansas Wesleyan Cross Country teams opened the 2022 season on Thursday night in the Terry Masterson Twilight Invitational, hosted by Hutchinson Community College at Fun Valley Sports Complex. The women placed 12th, while the men posted a fourth-place finish in the event.
Freshman Madisyn Ehrlich (FR/Salina, Kan.) led the Coyote women with a 33rd place finish, covering the three mile course in 20:06.60. Freshman Charlee Lind (FR/Wamego, Kan.) was next for the Coyotes with a 55th place finish in 20:51.59. Daniella Gaona (JR/Clifton, Texas) was next for the Coyotes with a 69th place finish in 21:17.93. Josie Koppes (SO/Manhattan, Kan.) finished 74th in 21:30.76, Joni Schroeder (FR/Salina, Kan.) was 76th in 21:35.91, Alayna Behrman (SO/Craig, Colo.) was 81st in 21:40.52, Regan Rhodes (SR/Mullinville, Kan.) was 87th in 21:55.79, Kylie Mouser (SO/Wichita, Kan.) was 93rd in 22:16.56, and Savannah Pilsner (SO/Columbus, Texas) was 117th in 24:14.54.
Fort Hays State was the team champion, scoring 21 points, followed by Hutchinson CC, Tabor, Newman and Dodge City CC to round out the top five teams.
On the men's side, Austin Hess (JR/Garden City, Kan.) led the Coyotes with a 24th place finish in 21:37.23 over the four-mile race. Gavin Tucker (SO/Bel Aire, Kan.) was 33rd with a 22:03.69, Giovanni Rios (SO/Temecula, Calif.) was 35th in 22:06.83, Will Griffith was 38th in 22:18.70, Cisco Alvarez (SO/Colorado Springs, Colo.) was 42nd in 22:32.16, Jack Horacek (SO/Topeka, Kan.) was 46th in 22:45.64, Jake Cruz (FR/Pasadena, Texas) was 48th in 22:49.54, Nicolas Martinez (FR/Coppell, Texas) was 49th in 22:49.73, Ty Davidson (SO/Lakin, Kan.) was 81st in 23:55.34, Stevie Merrill was 92nd in 24:22.34, and Remington Wiseman (FR/Howard, Kan.) was 137th in 27:35.57.
Fort Hays State also claimed the men's title with 62 points, while Cowley College was second, Newman was third, KWU fourth and McPherson was fifth. The Coyotes scored 138 points compared to 164 for McPherson.
The Coyotes will be back in action on Sept. 17 at the Woody Greeno / Jay Dirksen Invitational in Omaha, Neb.