LEBANON, Ill. – For the first time since 2018, McKendree University men's cross country hosted a meet on campus as the Bearcats hosted the McKendree Bearcat XC Classic here Friday afternoon at the former Hills Golf Club at McKendree.
The Bearcats welcomed nine men's and women's teams to a former 18-hole golf course to compete in just the third-ever home cross country meet since the early 2000's held by the Bearcats on its home cross country course.
McKendree finished its own meet in sixth place out of seven scoring teams at the 8K race. The Bearcats scored 175 points to finish three points in front of seventh place St. Charles Community College (178 points) and 15 points behind fifth place Kaskaskia College (160 points).
Leading the way for the Bearcats in their third event of the 2022 season was freshman
John Bush (Ballwin, Mo./Marquette), who ran the 8K course in a time of 27:37.68 to finish in 30th place. Bush was the top finisher for the Bearcats for the third straight meet.
Southeast Missouri State took home the team title as the Redhawks put five runners in the Top 8 en route to scoring 21 points to claim the team title. UMSL recorded a second-place finish with 56 points, while Maryville was third with 81 points.
UMSL's Toby Middleton held the lead for most of the 8K race, until SEMO's Terrico Garrett put on a final push over the final stretch of the course to earn a first-place finish with a time of 25:25.53. Middleton was second with a time of 25:36.48 and Garrett's teammate, Noah Little, was third with a time of 25:47.49.
The Bearcats contingent of eight runners averaged a time of 29:26.62 on its home course.
In addition to Bush, freshman
Blake Westrater (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon Township) was the second runner to cross the finish line for the Bearcats as he ran an 8K time of 27:46.36 to finish in 34th place overall.
The third finisher for the Bearcats was sophomore
Seth Kasinger (Pekin, Ill./Pekin Community) as he recorded an 8K time of 29:07.15 to finish in 48th place overall.
Sophomore
Caleb Kickham (O'Fallon, Mo./Fort Zumwalt West) was the fourth Bearcat to cross the finish line as he posted an 8K time of 31:13.10 to finish in 63rd place overall, while sophomore
Braden Voss (Belleville, Ill./Althoff Catholic) was the fifth scoring runner for the Bearcats as he ran an 8K time of 31:28.81 to finish in 65th place overall.
Freshman
George Safo (Crete, Ill./Crete-Monee) was the next finisher for the Bearcats as he posted a season-best 8K time of 33:54.59 to finish in 74th place, while senior
Emmanuel Segbedzi (Accra, Ghana) was 75th with a season-best 8K time of 34:15.83.
The team's lone senior,
Isaac Winter (Highland, Ill./Highland), who celebrated his Senior Day with Friday's home meet, was the final finisher for the Bearcats as he posted a season-best 8K time of 35:12.19 to finish in 79th place overall.
McKendree will now take two weeks off before returning to action on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Border War XC Championships, which will be held at the Principia North Farm XC Course in Elsah, Ill. The Principia North Farm XC Course will host the 2022 Great Lakes Valley Championships on Saturday, Nov. 5, which is being hosted by McKendree University.
