NORTHFIELD, Minn. – By putting four runners among the top-10 finishers, the No. 16-ranked Carleton College men's cross country team captured its fourth consecutive team title at the MIAC Championships. This was the 30th all-time conference crown for the Knights.
The Knights previously won the MIAC Championships in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The MIAC did not host a cross country championship meet during the 2020-21 academic year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is the third time that Carleton has won at least four straight conference titles, having prevailed six straight times from 1962-67 and nine consecutive from 1974-82. Both of those streaks came as members of the Midwest Conference.
"Today, we went out and won the MIAC title," said Carleton head coach
Dave Ricks. "Nobody gave it to us; we just took it. Our top five ran a really aggressive race."
Carleton totaled 50 points to hold off a challenge from No. 26-ranked St. Olaf College (59 points). Saint John's University (86 points), Gustavus Adolphus College (98), and Concordia-Moorhead (100) rounded out the top five teams.
"It's been a pretty amazing Fall for these guys," Ricks said. "The guys who were on the team last year really had no chance of winning a MIAC cross country championship this year. But, those same guys transformed themselves into much better athletes by putting in a tremendous summer of work, coupled with a great fall of training and racing. It has truly been an impressive transformation.
"I am so proud of this team and how hard they have worked. But I am also impressed by their discipline over the course of the season, especially overcoming seasonal illness with a mature mindset. Taking days off when they were sick was one of the most difficult things for these guys to do."
Stephen Lavey (Sr./Cedar Grove, Wis./Cedar Grove-Belgium) was the individual runner up, crossing the line at 24:59.0. He pushed the pace early, coming through the one-mile mark at 4:52, a tactic that caused the entire race to be fast.
Ben Santos (Sr./Boulder, Colo./Boulder) placed sixth with a time of 25:20.9, while
Adam Nakasaka (Sr./Chevy Chase, Md./Bethesda-Chevy Chase) may have had the best race of his career, finishing seventh at 25:21.0.
Henry Bowman (Jr./Lafayette, Colo./Centaurus) was the fourth member of the roster to earn All-MIAC status, turning in one of the top performances of his career by placing 10th at 25:35.2.
The heart and soul of the squad,
Zak Sather (Jr./Eau Claire, Wis./Eau Claire Memorial), sealed the team victory and picked up all-conference honorable mention as he finished 25th at 26:18.1.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will next race at the Great Karhu Shoe Race on Thursday, Nov. 4. The squad will then turn its attention to the NCAA North Region Championships to be held on Nov. 13 in Colfax, Wis.
