Mustangs Secure 32nd-Place Team Finish at NAIA Meet

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Mount Mercy men's cross country team concluded its 2025 campaign with a controlled pacing strategy and five-runner scoring at the NAIA Men's Cross Country Championships on Friday. Noah Gregoire led the Mustangs, clocking 25:58.5 to place 102nd, followed by Ryan Mitchell at 26:17.9 in 150th to anchor the front-end compression for the squad.

Mount Mercy finished 32nd in the team standings with 733 points, using a compact scoring spread inside 1 minute, 46 seconds. Brady Cortez produced a 26:34.5 mark (193rd), with Dylan Bledsoe following at 26:43.3 (208th) to maintain the team's mid-race positioning. Matthew Schaul closed the scoring at 27:35.3 (263rd), securing the Mustangs' overall point total and place in the 36-team field.

The Mustangs utilized consistent kilometer pacing and maintained pack engagement through the 4K and 6K checkpoints, executing a steady progression over the final split. Jonathon Williams added displacement support at 27:36.2 (266th) with Trey Schulte at 27:47.4 (273rd), reinforcing Mount Mercy's depth during championship competition.

Indiana Wesleyan won the team title with 117 points, followed by The Master's (128), Cumberlands (160), Rocky Mountain (239), and Taylor (247), rounding out the top five.