The Hillsdale College men's cross country team got to experience the course where the upcoming NCAA DII Midwest Regional will be held at the end of the season this weekend, competing in the Lucian Rosa Invite in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
A week after going all-out and racking up personal bests across the board at the Louisville XC Classic, Hillsdale ran a more subdued race in Kenosha, focusing on tactical running and working together as a pack.
The Chargers finished ninth in the meet, led by a 42nd place finish from sophomore Alex Mitchell in 26:32.40 for the 8K course. Sophomore Richie Johnston was close behind with a strong race, taking 47th in 26:37.4.
Hillsdale's next four finishers came tight behind Johnston as Hillsdale ran as a group throughout the race. Junior Isaac Waffle finished 51st in 26:43.02, sophomore Ross Kuhn took 53rd in 26:45.63, junior Mark Sprague finished 58th in 26:49.77, and Donnie McArdle took 59th in 26:50.64.
Freshman Nathaniel Osborne finished 69th in 27:08.82 and sophomore Caleb Oser took 77th in 27:22.41, a personal best at the 8K distance, as well for Hillsdale.
The Chargers have one final tune-up race scheduled for Oct. 21, as Hillsdale heads to Dexter to compete in the EMU Fall Classic with a limited squad, but the Chargers' main focus now is on the G-MAC Championships hosted by Findlay on November 5, and ensuring the best result possible at that event.