UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. --- The Mississippi College Men's Cross Country team finished 12th place at the 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships. This performance from the Choctaws officially marks the highest-ever finish at the NCAA Division II level in Mississippi College Cross Country history.
Jan Lukas Becker led the way in an 8th-place finish in a time of 29:57.2, the highest-ever individual finisher from Mississippi College at the NCAA Division II national level in Cross Country. This was Becker's eighth NCAA Division II All-American finish in his career. This performance also marks as the official 10K(XC) Mississippi College school record.
Hunter Kurz(31:00 | 77th), Gabe Poulin(31:14 | 97th), Christian Balcer(31:17 | 102nd), and Braedon Methvin(31:44 | 140th) rounded out the scoring five for the Choctaws.
Dillon Powell of Colorado School of Mines, located in Golden, Colo., won the individual title in 29:28.0. Powell led the Orediggers to their second title in the last three seasons.
Jazmin Hernandez, an individual qualifier for the Lady Choctaws, finished 114th in a 6K time of 22:12.3(5:57 per mile). The women's race was won by Adams State's Stephanie Cotter in 19:45.2, who also led Adams state to the team title.
Head Coach Matthew Reneker
*Commenting on the men's performance
"I am so thankful for the leadership of Hunter and Gabe this season. This program could not have accomplished all of these historical feats without their willingness to not only challenge themselves, but to challenge the team as well. Several of our underclassmen performed exceptionally well in this high-pressure situation, and we owe that steadfastness to our leadership team."
*Commenting on Becker's performance
"I have never seen a more talented Cross Country athlete so dedicated to his team success as Jan Lukas Becker. Seeing him upfront with the best in the nation for nine kilometers paves the way for the future of our program."
*Commenting on Hernandez's performance
"We see this as a cherry on top. We were not sure if Jazmin was going to make it this far, but she made the most of this opportunity. Jazmin has learned so much about tactics and strategy, and I know she will use her experience moving forward."
Up next:
The 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship concludes the 2022 Cross Country season.
Post-race Notes:
-Jan Lukas Becker's 8th-place finish is the highest-ever finish from a Mississippi College male or female at the 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships
-The Mississippi College men's team performance of 12th place is the highest-ever male or female team finish at the 2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships.
-The Mississippi College men's team was the highest-placed team out of the South Region, beating out conference rivals Lee University and Alabama-Huntsville University, as well as Embry-Riddle University.
-The Mississippi College Men's Cross Country team had a 10K average of 31:02, which is 4:59 per mile for 6.25 miles. This 10K average time is a school record for the Mississippi College Men's Cross Country team.
-Becker's time of 29:57.2 is a Mississippi College record in the 10K(XC), averaging out to be 4:49.2 for 6.25 miles.
-Christian Balcer passed a total of 53 people throughout the race, from the first checkpoint to the finish. Adam Gomez also passed 18 competitiors, Gabe Poulin passed seven, and Braedon Methvin passed two.
-Jazmin Hernandez covered 3.75 miles over sloppy terrain in an average pace of 5:57 per mile.
-Hernandez was the fourth finisher from the Gulf South Conference and sixth finisher from the South Region.
Lifetime Bests:
-Jan Lukas Becker: 29:57.2
-Hunter Kurz: 31:00.0
-Christian Balcer: 31:17.6
-Braedon Methvin: 31:44.2
-Adam Gomez: 32:22.8
Important Links:
2022 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships Results
Mississippi College Men's Cross Country Qualify for NCAA DII XC Nationals
Jazmin Hernandez selected to run at NCAA DII XC Nationals
FOLLOW THE CHOCTAWS:
For complete coverage of Mississippi College Track & Field/Cross Country, follow the Choctaws on social media @GoChoctaws_XCTF (Twitter), @gochoctaws_xctf (Instagram), or visit the official home of Mississippi College athletics at gochoctaws.com.
