WARRIOR MEN SEVENTH AT NATIONALS
FORT DODGE, IA – Led by an All-American performance from freshman Nick O'Connor and a tightly packed remaining group of runners, the Indian Hills men's cross country squad notched its highest NJCAA Nationals finish in school history Saturday, taking 7th place.
Bone-chilling temps in the 30s paired with a stiff wind tested all the runners at Fort Dodge's Lakeside Municipal Golf Course, but the Warriors were up to the task, topping the program's previous best finish in 2018 (15th place).
"We really needed everyone to step up at the national meet, and that's exactly what they did," said IHCC Head Coach Brent Ewing. "For our program, this is a huge accomplishment. I'm very proud of the guys, and it's directly tied to the attitude and grit of our team."
The Warrior men were without a top runner due to a positive COVID test, and another teammate was lost recently due to a collapsed lung.
"The guys have been through a lot this year," Ewing added. "It was a gutsy race for our men."
O'Connor, just as he has all season, led the Warriors as the Tiffin native finished in 18th place overall with a time of 26:17.19 over the 8k route. The effort earned O'Connor All-American status from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
"Nick is a hard-nosed young man," Ewing said. "He set the tone for our program all year."
O'Connor's finish allowed him to become the third All-American in the last three years of the IHCC program (Marcus Graham, Michael DeMeyer – both in 2018). O'Connor's 18th place finish stands as the highest individual placing in school history.
After O'Connor's impressive performance, Ewing was particularly impressed by how tight runner's two through six stayed.
"Our pack two-through-six did an incredible job of keeping contact with each other," Ewing said. "When you look at the results (a spread of 1 minute, 26 seconds), that's what stands out most."
Freshman Chris Metz continued his late season surge by topping that tight-knit group 2-through-6 by becoming IHCC's second finisher, coming in 25th with a 27:07.33.
Ewing also noted the effort of Jacob Glandon in the sophomore's final effort as a Warrior.
"Jacob Glandon had a race of a lifetime in his last race for Indian Hills." Ewing added. "Jacob beat his season's best by over a minute."
The 2020 Warrior thinclads finished the season with a program-best NJCAA ranking of No. 6 and should be poised for a solid 2021 campaign with its top four finishers at the national meet coming from the freshman class.
7. Indian Hills
18 Nicholas O'Connor, Fr 26:17.19
35 Chris Metz, Fr 27:07.33
47 Colten Glosser, Fr 27:32.21
50 Isaac Bryant, Fr 27:40.48
52 Ethan Mesenbrink, So 27:43.39
60 Jacob Glandon, So 28:05.03