Morningside’s women’s cross country team finished 18th at the NAIA National Championships.

Morningside’s women’s cross country team finished 18th at the 2016 NAIA Cross Country National Championships held Saturday at North Farm Cross Country Course in Elsah, Ill.

The Mustangs, this year’s champion of the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), finished with 482 points to finish 27 points out of 17th place behind Saint Xavier. Morningside, which was ranked 17th nationally in the final regular season NAIA Women’s Cross Country Coaches’ Top 25 poll, moved up seven spots following a 25th place finish at last year’s national meet.

British Columbia scored 90 points to unseat No. 1-ranked Northwest Christian, the defending national champion, for the team championship. Northwest Christian finished second with 135 points.

Morningside’s Alec DeVries, a junior from Merrill, Iowa, competed in the men’s division. DeVries, a three-time All-GPAC performer, finished 92nd with a time of 25:57.20 over the 8k course.

Michelle Mumm, a junior from Neola, Iowa, was the Mustangs’ top individual finisher in the women’s race. Mumm ran the 5k course in a time of 18:04.12 to finish 38th in the individual standings. Tiffany Shepherd, a senior from Corning, Iowa, also gave the Mustangs a top 50 finish. Shepherd finished 50th with a time of 18:14.0.

Morningside’s other runners who figured in the team scoring were Natalie Lambert, a freshman from Paton, Iowa, who finished 152nd with a time of 19:11.88; Morgan Applegarth, a sophomore from Lincoln, Neb., who finished 174th with a time of 19:19.23; and Payton Boer, a sophomore from Sioux Center, Iowa, who finished 223rd with a time of 19:43.41.

The Mustangs’ other runners in the women’s race were Cassie Warner, a sophomore from Council Bluffs, Iowa, who finished 224th with a time of 19:43.70, and Alexandra George, a freshman from Seward, Neb., who finished 237th with a time of 19:48.77.

Men’s Results

Women’s Results