JOPLIN, Mo. -- Seven harriers set new personal records, and for the second-straight meet, freshman Hope Anfeldt handed in a top-10 finish as the John Brown University cross country programs competed at the Missouri Southern State Stampede on Saturday morning (Sept. 17) at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.
Competing in the college division, the men took fourth place among 16 teams competing, while the ladies finished 8th among the 13 programs. Khloi Bird from Butler Community (Kan.) took the top podium spot on the women's side with a time of 18:30, and Butler's Rodger Rotich crossed the line first in the men's race in 23:51. The Oklahoma City men captured the team trophy as Tabor (Kan.) nabbed the ladies' title in impressive fashion.
Two men and five women set new personal record times in the meet as Drew Birnbaum (28:22), Daniel Haefli (31:36), Emma Brown (24:02), Avery Edwards (21:36), Ryleigh Hale (21:34), Olivia Scates (21:01) and Sarah Smith (21:25) each set new personal standards.
In his first appearance of the 2022 season, junior Jean-Benoit Merte paced the men's harriers at 26:32 to capture 20th place, followed by senior Jadin Whiting's mark of 27:01 to land 25th overall. Freshman Chase Schermer scored for the first time in his career, handing in a time of 27:12 to finish 27th, and right alongside was junior Jake Hagood, who scored for the second time in as many meets. Sophomore Josiah Petak rounded out the scoring with a 40th-place effort in 27:33.
Similar to her finish in Tulsa, Ahnfeldt again captured seventh place with John Brown's lone sub-20 minute mark at 19:05 to lead the ladies. Senior Emerson Turner scored for a second time this year via her 20:19 finish (29th) and sophomore Olivia Scates added her mark of 21:01 to cross the tape in 48th place. Freshman Liz Vazquez (21:15, 51st) and Naia Shepherd (21:23, 55th) also scored for the Golden Eagles.
The JBU runners will take a two-week break before taking part in one of the most heralded meets in the country – the famed Chile Pepper Festival on the campus of the University of Arkansas on Friday (Sept. 30).
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