WILMINGTON, Ohio - The Beavers traveled down to Wilmington College on Friday, Oct. 18, for the Jenna Strong Fall Classic as the final tune up race before the HCAC Championship and it also served as a mini conference preview with seven of the 10 HCAC teams in attendance.

The women kicked off the evening in a rare end of the season 5k. Senior Basil Gates (Galion) led the way with a 22:34, which was five seconds faster than a season ago, while working back from injury. Freshman Kamryn McDonald (Marion/Harding) rounded out the squad with a 25:58.

The men took off next, finishing 16 out of 25 teams and 4th among HCAC schools. Cole Kropka (New London) led the way with a new season best of 26:57 while finishing in the top 50. Fellow senior Braeden Horn (Galion) was up next, finishing in 28:24 and he ran a new season best as well. Junior Jarrod Roudebush (Coshocton) came through the line third for the Beavers with a 28:57.

Sophomore Grant Beasley (Versailles) came in just 13 spots behind Roudebush, finishing in 29:27. Rounding out the top five was freshmen Kaden McWatters (Genoa) who finished the day with a new PR of 30:32. Other standout performances included Jordan Croy (Ottawa/Ottawa-Glandorf), who PR'd with a 31:19, and sophomore Micah Dodson (Wooster/Central Christian) who ran a new season best of 32:34.

Freshman Malcolm Hudson (Villa Rica, GA) and sophomore Chandler McCafferty (West Liberty/West Liberty-Salem), who both got their first full race of the season after working back from injury, worked together the whole race en route to running 34:05 and 34:13, respectively.

The Bluffton University cross country team now has two weeks as they prepare to travel to Shelbyville, Indiana, for the HCAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 2.

-BEAVERS-