Milligan Cross Country reaches new heights

The Milligan College cross country teams are on the fast track in more than one way.  The women have retained their No. 2 spot in the NAIA national poll that was released on Oct. 10, as well as placing second in the Disney Cross Country Classic in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., on Oct. 6. 

On the men’s side, freshman Ben Ronoh broke the school record for the 8K race with a time of 25:15, beating out the previous record by five seconds. Ronoh placed third overall at the Disney Classic. 

The conditions for the Disney Classic were less than perfect.  Rain the night before, and on the day of the race made the trails muddy and tough to run on, but that did not stop the Buffs. 

The field was comprised of 44 teams. The schools ranged from NCAA Division I, II, III, and other NAIA schools from across the country. The University of Tampa edged out the Lady Buffs for first place.  Also rounding out the top five was South Dakota State finishing third, followed by Furman, Elon, and the University of South Carolina. 

After their finish in the Disney Classic, Milligan’s women are 17-2 on the season against NCAA Division I opponents.

Senior MacKenzie LaBonte led the Lady Buffs with a time of 18:17 in the 5K, which placed her seventh overall.  LaBonte’s time also marks her personal best time in the 5K. 

Sophomore Rebecca McDowell finished 21st with her best time this season of 18:51.  Junior Jacklyn Talbert was the third Lady Buff across the finish line placing 26th with a time of 18:58.  Junior Nicole Moore finished fourth for the women with a time of 19:01, which also marks her lifetime best time.  Senior Erika Fox rounded out the top five with a time of 19:19.

“Both squads ran in rough conditions today, so to see season and personal bests is a great sign there’s more to come,” said Head Coach Chris Layne.

Junior Wegene Degefa competed in his first 8K of the season for the Buffs and finished 24th overall with a time of 26:23.  Junior Will Frye crossed the finish line third for the men at 27:28.

Milligan’s men finished 11th out of a 41 team field. South Dakota State won the men’s team title, followed by Hofstra University. 

“(The Disney Classic) is a huge race, with tons of teams,” said Frye.  “And it was our first race in a few weeks, and I think we all ran pretty well.”

Both the men and the women are running today at the Blue Ridge Open. The meet is being held in Boone, N.C. 

Peter Dalton contributed to this article.