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LAWRENCE, Kan. – (Results) Cool conditions and a slick track didn’t slow down Oklahoma City in the 59th Annual NAIA Men’s Cross Country National Championships, as the Stars shot to their second-consecutive national championship at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan., on Saturday afternoon.
With the victory, the Stars become the second NAIA program since 1999 to be ranked No. 1 the entire season en route to the national championship. Former member Malone (Ohio) accomplished that feat in 2007 and 2008.
Oklahoma City takes home its second national banner in program history with a stellar effort from all parties involved, as every countable racer finished in the top 21. The Stars were guided by NAIA All-American Peter Koskey, who crossed the finish line in third-place with a time of 24:44.
Koskey finished eighth overall in the national championships a season ago.
Joining Koskey in earning All-American honors for the national champions is Csaba Matko (5th; 24:54), Arya Bahreini (13th; 25:19), David Mountford (18th; 25:24) and Mackenzie Wahpepah-Harris/Kickapoo (21st; 25:29) who earns his second All-American status after placing 25th in the 2013 race as a freshman.
Collectively, the Stars accrued a team time of 2:05:51 on their way to 55 points – 58 points ahead of Southern Oregon, who finished in second with 113 total points.
Mackenzie was the top finisher amongst the Native American runners competing at the championships but overall all of the runners fared pretty good against the top competition in the country at the NAIA level.
Following Mackenzie in the men’s race was Richard Langdeaux (Rosebud Sioux) who finished 117th overall with a time of (26:38.00). A senior this year Richard finishes up his cross country career with the Valley City State Vikings and will finish up the rest of his running career with indoor/outdoor track and field events. Langdeaux improves his finish over last year where he placed 233rd.
Rounding out the men’s race was Haskell Indian Nations University’s Tony McCabe (Navajo Nation) who finished in the 278th position with an official time of (28:33.00). This was Tony’s first year to qualify for the National Championships and he is only a sophomore for the Haskell Indians running program.
WOMEN”S RACE
In the women’s race, Allison Denetchee (Navajo Nation) was the top Native American women runner to finish the race. Allision finished the race in 149th place with a time of (19:44.10) over the 5-kilometer race. Alison, a senior at William Carey University, finished her last cross country race of her career. She also improved her time and place from the 2013 National Championships race where she finished 199th place with a (20:04.89).
Following Allison was freshman runner from Haskell Indian Nations University Angela Big Bow (Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma) who was making her first appearance in the National Championships. Angela finished 280th place for the Indians with an official time of (21:07.60).
Rounding out the Native American women runners was 4-time National Championship qualifier for Haskell Indian Nations University runner Talisa Budder (Keetoowah Cherokee) who finished her last collegiate cross country race. She too will move to track and field to finish up her career for the Indians. Talisa finished in the 302nd position with a time of (21:42.90).
Congratulations to all the runners who represented Indian Country and their tribes.
(Note: Information from the NAIA.ORG was used in this story)
