NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The Lindsey Wilson College men's and women's cross country teams swept the Mid-South Conference championships on Saturday at Percy Warner Park.
The Blue Raider harriers finished second to Union (Tenn.) University in the NAIA Region XI Championships ran concurrently with the MSC's. The Blue Raiders season ends as a team with the second place finish.
Lindsey Wilson freshmen Christopher Kipchirchir and David Mutuse earn a trip to the NAIA Men's Cross Country Championships as individuals after finishing in the top-five in the region race. Freshman Grace Korir advances to the women's nationals after finishing fifth in the women's regional.
In the men's race, Lindsey Wilson scored 34 points to take the MSC title for the first time in the program's history.
Kipchirchir and Mutuse led the Blue Raiders with a second and third place finish respectively.
Kipchirchir ran the 8,000-meter race in 26 minutes and 28 seconds, seven seconds behind University of the Cumberlands senior Juan Robels' time of 26:21. Mutuse finished the course in 26:33.
Blue Raider junior Koji Hashiyama crossed the line in sixth place with a time of 27:12 and senior Emmanuel Isanda finished seventh with a 27:22 giving Lindsey Wilson four of the top seven runners.
All four top-10 finishers earned all-conference honors for the finish. Robels earns MSC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year for his first-place finish.
Freshman Aaron Rousseau completed the Blue Raiders that scored with a 16th place finish with a time of 29:09.
Junior Caleb LaFond (29:34) and freshman Silas Kosgey (30:31) finished 20th and 26th respectively.
Cumberlands finished second in the MSC with 47 points. Campbellsville ended in third with 60 points.
In the region portion of the event, Lindsey Wilson scored 55 points to capture runner-up honors. Union finished with 28 points after all five harriers finished in the top-10.
Kipchichir and Mutuse advance to the NAIA National Championships on November 17, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
In the women's race, Korir led the Blue Raiders with a third place finish in the MSC race.
Korir finished the 5,000-meters with a time of 19:39. Campbellsville junior Miranda Meeks won the event and MSC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year with a time of 18:34. Georgetown (Ky.) College sophomore Brittany Chesser finished second, four seconds ahead of Korir.
Korir's finish helped the Blue Raiders capture their second straight MSC title, scoring 44 points. Cumberlands finished second with 47 points and Campbellsville ended in third with 69 points.
Lindsey Wilson junior Marie Coyon finished the race in seventh place with a time of 20:15, while junior Cassie Niersel crossed in eighth with a time of 20:19.
Korir, Coyon and Niersel all earned all-conference honors for their top-10 finishes.
Sophomore Monicah Maiyo finished with a time of 21:08 and an 11th place finish, while sophomore Amanda Johnson crossed in 15th with a time of 21:48 to complete the Lindsey Wilson scoring.
Senior Amber Cannon (22:42) and freshman Candace Young (23:53) finished 21st and 27th respectively. Freshman Megan Furnish finished 41st with a time of 24:11 to round out the Blue Raider harriers.
In the region portion of the event, Lindsey Wilson scored 64 points to capture runner-up honors. Union finished with 42 points earning the automatic bid into the national championships. Korir advances to the NAIA National Championships on November 17, in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
