WINFIELD – Kansas Wesleyan Men’s Cross Country were the top placing team from the Kansas Conference with a third place finish at the NAIA Mid-States Classic hosted by Southwestern at the Winfield Veterans Home on Saturday. The Coyote women posted an 11th place finish at the event.

The Coyote men were third with 146 points, only behind event winner Oklahoma City and Southern Oregon in the team standings.

Austin Hess (JR/Garden City, Kan.) paced the Coyote men with an 18th place finish in the field of 182 runners. He posted a time of 26:47.67 for the 8K course. Shane Calvin (JR/Lakin, Kan.) was 23rd for the Coyotes in 26:54.98, Jake Cruz (FR/Pasadena, Texas) was 25th in 26:58.62, Cisco Alvarez (SO/Colorado Springs, Colo.) was 39th in 27:36.78, Nicolas Martinez (FR/Coppell, Texas) was 48th in 27:56.16, Jack Horacek (SO/Topeka, Kan.) was 61st in 28:15.48, Giovanni Rios (SO/Temecula, Calif.) was 90th in 29:25.67, Ty Davidson (SO/Lakin, Kan.) was 110th in 30:10.44, Julian Avila (SO/Manhattan, Kan.) was 120th in 30:34.15, and Stevie Merrill was 158th in 32:56.19.

Oklahoma City was the team champion, followed by Southern Oregon, KWU, NCAA Division-II Newman, and Benedictine to round out the Top 5 teams in the 17 scoring team field.

On the women’s side, the Coyotes finished 11th overall with 280 points.

Freshman Madisyn Ehrlich (FR/Salina, Kan.) again led the Coyotes covering the 5K course in 20:21.57 to finish 35th. Josie Koppes (SO/Manhattan, Kan.) placed 47th in 20:41.95, Alayna Behrman (SO/Craig, Colo.) was 66th in 21:26.96, Charlee Lind (FR/Wamego, Kan.) was 76th in 21:52.80, Joni Schroeder (FR/Salina, Kan.) was 82nd in 21:58.74, Regan Rhodes (SR/Mullinville, Kan.) was 123rd in 23:57.58, and Savannah Pilsner (SO/Columbus, Texas) was 127th in 24:24.95.

Southern Oregon was the women’s team champion with 44 points, followed by William Woods, Oklahoma City, Tabor and Missouri Baptist to round out the Top 5 teams in the field that included 16 scoring teams.