Clancy and Mitchell race to nationals, Mustangs finish fourth at Heart championships

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- Ryan Clancy and Ryan Mitchell earned individual berths to the NAIA national meet while claiming all-conference awards at Saturday's Heart of America Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at Seminole Valley Park.

Benedictine won the third team title in program history with 31 points. Park was second with 90 points, followed by William Penn with 102 and Mount Mercy with 109. The Ravens also had the individual champion as David Manella (24:57.6) won the 8K by 11 seconds over teammate Gabriel Friess (25:08.8).

Clancy and Mitchell were both first-team all-conference award winners in addition to earning national championship bids. Clancy hit the finish line in 25:21.5 to place fifth while Mitchell came in ninth in 25:37.4. Also helping the Mustangs to that fourth-place finish were Ty Costigan (20th/26:18.6), Brady Cortez (36th/27:02.8), Lukas Lamparek (45th/27:24.2), Noah Cokel (46th/27:24.2), Trey Schulte (62nd/28:25.4), Josh Smith (67th/28:32.7), Luke Munsey (8th/29:50.7), Nathan Skala (93rd/30:23.7), and Josh Scholl (116th/33:51.9).

The 68th Annual NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship will be contested on Friday, Nov. 17, at 1:30 pm Central Time at Fort Vancouver Historical Site in Vancouver, Wash.