Mustangs Capture First Heart of America Conference Championship Title

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - For the first time in program history, the Mount Mercy men's cross country team claimed the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship, earning a spot in the NAIA National Championship.

The Mustangs topped the field with 69 points, placing three runners in the top 15. Park finished second with 81 points, followed by Benedictine in third with 83 points.

Ryan Mitchell led the way for Mount Mercy, finishing eighth overall with a time of 25:12.7. Brady Cortez was close behind in ninth at 25:15.0, with Ryan Clancy rounding out the top 10 in tenth at 25:18.7. Mitchell, Cortez, and Clancy all earned first-team all-conference honors for their performances.

Lukas Lamparek (19th/25:51.1) and Dylan Bledsoe (23rd/26:04.0) rounded out the Mustangs' top five finishers.

William Penn's D'Artagnon Beaver took the individual title with a time of 24:43.2.

The Mustangs will head to Columbia, Missouri, for the NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championship on Friday, November 22nd. The official start time will be announced at a later date.