XC at RMAC Championships

The CSC women were 13th of 15, and the men 15th of 16, Saturday, at the RMAC Championships in Denver.

Chadron was without top runner Sheldon Curley, who Head Cross Country Coach Scott Foley says developed shin issues following the Roadrunner Invite. According to Foley, though Curley could have run, the decision was made to favor Curley’s long-term health. 

“It was a good opportunity for our young team to get experience,” Foley said, “but it definitely exposed our lack of depth.”

Given the men’s youth, Foley said his team lacked the depth to have runners step up to fill top roles when faced with injuries. 

Of the three freshman leading the Eagles men, none were faster than Michael Jaso, of Yuma, Arizona, who took 73rd with a time of 27 minutes 24.4 seconds. Teammate Jesse Jaramillo, of Scottsbluff, was the next-best finisher at 104th with a time of 28 minutes, 28.9 seconds. Zen Petrosius, of Seward, Arkansas, took 119th, completing the race in 30 minutes, 5.7 seconds.

Rounding out the Eagles’ top-five were sophomores Trevor Link, of Fort Morgan, Colorado, in 123rd with a time of 31 minutes, 6.1 seconds and Tristen Old Horse, of Hot Springs, South Dakota, in 126th finishing in 32 minutes, 50.2 seconds.

Senior Alyse Henry, junior of Rock Springs, Wyoming, was the Eagles top finisher, completing the race in 24 minutes 16.7 seconds to take 59th place in a field of 128 runners. Savannah Silbaugh, junior of Upton, Wyoming, was the Eagles’ next-best finisher at 67th place with a time of 24 minutes, 37.4 seconds. 

The Chadron State women’s top-five finishers is filled by sophomores Madison Watson, of Mitchell, Emma Willadsen, of Eaton, Colorado, and Catherine Orban, of Osage, Wyoming. Watson, 76th, completed the race in 24 minutes, 47.1 seconds; Willadsen, 94th, had a time of 25 minutes, 43.2 seconds; and Orban, 104th, finished in 26 minutes, 2.4 seconds. 

The CSC season has already felt the effects of the NCAA Division II’s festival year, an event that comes around every four years and combines the championships of all minor fall sports in one location at one time.

The festival works to create a sort of Olympic atmosphere, but can cause headaches for Cross Country teams because meets are pushed farther into the calendar year than is typical.

The team travels next to the NCAA South Central Region Championships, Nov. 17, in Denver, where they’ll attempt to qualify for NCAA Championships in December.