Cross Country breaks school records

The MVNU men's cross country team came in eighth place out of 38 teams at the Jenna Strong Fall Classic.

The event, hosted by Wilmington College, saw both the men's and women's team break school records.

The men's team, paced by sophomore Brennan Crawford, broke the MVNU record with an average 8K time of 26:36. Crawford finished the event with an individual time of 26:08.

“It feels great to be a part of the group that broke the record,” Crawford said following the meet.

Crawford credits encouraging each other and Coach Wilson for their achievement.

“We push each other and that makes all of us better. We also have a great coach who guides us in our training,” Crawford said.

The women's team, led by senior Annie Winkler, broke the MVNU team record with an average 5K time of 19:33.

Winkler also broke her previously set individual school record by 31 seconds, finishing the 5K in 18:37.

"We have had a solid two weeks of practice for both our men's and women's teams leading to the race today," Cougars coach Chip Wilson said. "I don't think I have ever been more proud of our teams than I was tonight."

Wilson added that it wasn't only their finish times that stood out to him, but more importantly, their effort and encouragement towards each other.

"The confidence I saw tonight from the runners was the best I've seen as a team," Wilson said.

The Cougars will race at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge hosted by Aquinas College on Saturday in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“At this point in the season, we pay extra attention to our distance and intensity,” Crawford said as the Cougars prepare for their next race.