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SAC Men's XCTRY Championships

Men's Cross Country

3 Pioneers – maybe more – qualify for nationals

WBU runner-up again at SAC Championships

Gallery: (11-5-2022) Men's Cross Country at SAC Championships
BETHANY, Okla. – At least three Wayland Baptist runners qualified for the NAIA National Championships, and the Pioneer men finished second for the fourth straight year at the Sooner Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships held Saturday at Eldon Lyon Park.

Senior Dennis Kiptoo, freshman Malachi Macias and sophomore Alex Spencer all qualified for nationals as individuals, and they could be joined in Florida by the rest of their teammates if the Pioneers earn an at-large bid. That announcement will be made Monday.

Individuals advance to nationals by being one of the top four finishers not on a qualifying team.
 
Results

Kiptoo, a three-time all-American, finished in seventh place, Macias was 10th and Spencer 12th in the 62-runner field. Kiptoo ran a time of 25 minutes, 28 seconds on the 8-kilometer course and came in behind six runners from Oklahoma City University. Junior Shimales Abebe of OCU, the SAC runner-up the last two years, edged teammate Abraham Chelangam, a freshman, by one-tenth of a second, 24:32, for first place.

Ninth-ranked OCU easily captured its sixth straight team title with a perfect score of 15. WBU was next with 66 points, four in front of John Brown (Ark.). Seven schools fielded teams.

Kiptoo earned his fourth all-conference honor, placing seventh after finishing third at conference the last two years and second his first season at Wayland. Kiptoo placed 18th at nationals the last two years and ninth in 2019. 

Macias, of Lubbock, was the fastest runner not from OCU and not named Kiptoo as he locked down all-conference recognition awarded to the top-15 finishers. Spencer, who was fourth here last year, earned his second all-conference honor and was the SAC's final individual to make the nationals field and compete Nov. 18 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Fla.

Other finishers for WBU were senior Jace Sanchez (18th, 26:33), senior Cole Rubac (29th, 27:53), sophomore Zachary Shanklin (51st, 31:27), and freshman Diego Castaneda (60th, 34:03).
 
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