WINFIELD, Kan. — The Southwestern College men's cross country team will travel to Chanute, Kansas, on Saturday, Oct. 17, to compete in the NCCC Invitational, hosted by Neosho County Community College at Santa Fe Park. The nonconference meet is scheduled to begin at 10:30 am.

The Moundbuilders enter the competition looking to build on their performances from the Tiger Ambush XC Open on Oct. 2, hosted by Cowley College. Southwestern finished seventh in the men's 8-kilometer race with 175 points and a combined time of 2 hours, 41 minutes, 53.3 seconds.

LeDaniel Harrison led the Moundbuilders with a 21st-place finish, crossing the line in 28:17.8. Harrison's performance established him as Southwestern's top finisher and demonstrated his ability to compete among a strong field of junior college runners.

Derek Ponce-Gonzales followed with a time of 30:42.6, finishing 40th overall. Isaiah Jones placed 45th with a time of 31:57.9, while Joshua Wessel finished 60th in 35:08.5. Jacob Salas rounded out Southwestern's scoring five, placing 61st with a time of 35:46.5.

Southwestern's strength lies in its ability to build around Harrison's pace at the front while developing consistency throughout the remainder of the lineup. The Moundbuilders will look to reduce the time gaps between their scoring runners, improve their overall team average and establish a stronger presence in the middle of the field.

For Southwestern, the upcoming meet presents an opportunity to measure its progress against a familiar opponent. Harrison will look to continue leading the Moundbuilders, while Ponce-Gonzales, Jones, Wessel and Salas aim to improve their individual times and contribute to a stronger team finish.

The Moundbuilders will focus on maintaining a consistent pace, closing gaps between runners and finishing strong as they continue their fall season.