The Emporia State’s men’s cross country finished ninth with a total team score of 232 in the NCAA Division II Central Regional Cross Country Championships last Saturday in Kearney, Neb.

Brian Newkirk, senior, placed 11th overall with a time of 32:09.16 on the ten kilometer course.

Gabe Sams, junior, was second on the ESU team with a time of 32:56.83. Sams placed 38th overall. Aaron Taylor, junior, placed 47th with a time of 33:07.95 and senior Thomas LaRoche ran 33:28.04 to place 58th. Junior Cole Bosley was the fifth runner for the Hornets and rounded out their scoring with a time of 33:53.48, placing 83rd.

Newkirk received an at-large bid to compete in the Division II Cross Country National Championships on Nov. 19 in Evansville, Ind. He has been the Hornet’s top runner for the past two years and received All-MIAA honors this season after placing ninth at the conference meet.

He will be the first Hornet male to compete in Nationals in 15 years.

Statistics provided by esuhornets.com.