WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College men's cross-country placed seventh at the Tiger Ambush XC Open on Friday at the Kansas Veterans Home, finishing the 8-kilometer race with 175 points.
The Moundbuilders' five scoring runners combined for a time of 2 hours, 41 minutes, 53.30 seconds and averaged 32:22.66.
LeDaniel Harrison once again led Southwestern, crossing the finish line in 28:17.8 to place 21st overall and score 16 points for the Builders. Harrison made a significant improvement from Southwestern's season-opening Warrior XC Invitational, where he ran 32:07.9. His performance Friday was nearly four minutes faster over the 8K distance.
Derek Ponce-Gonzales followed as Southwestern's second finisher, placing 40th overall with a time of 30:42.6 and scoring 34 points. Ponce-Gonzales also showed substantial improvement after recording a 35:20.7 at the season opener.
Isaiah Jones was the third Builder across the line, finishing 45th overall in 31:57.9. Jones scored 38 points toward Southwestern's team total and continued to give the Builders another presence near the front of their scoring group.
Joshua Wessel and Jacob Salas completed Southwestern's scoring five. Wessel finished 60th overall with a time of 35:08.5, while Salas followed in 61st at 35:46.5. Wessel scored 43 points and Salas added 44.
The performances from Wessel and Salas also represented major improvements from Southwestern's opening meet. Wessel entered Friday after running 39:18.4 at the Warrior XC Invitational, while Salas had finished in 48:02.8. Salas' improvement was especially notable, cutting more than 12 minutes from his previous 8K time.
As a group, Southwestern showed considerable progress over the 8K distance. The same five runners who scored at the season opener lowered their combined time from 3:07:24 to 2:41:53.30, an improvement of more than 25 minutes.
Harrison continued to establish himself at the front of the Builders' lineup, while Ponce-Gonzales moved into the team's No. 2 position. The biggest development came from Southwestern's overall depth, as all five scoring runners produced faster times than they recorded at the season opener.
Although the Builders finished seventh in the team standings, Friday's results showed substantial individual improvement across Southwestern's scoring lineup as the team continued building experience over the 8K distance.
The Moundbuilder will return to action Friday, Oct. 16, at the NCCC Invitational in Chanute, Kan. The men's race is scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m.
