After taking a week off of competition, the Upper Iowa cross country team traveled to Romeoville, Ill. for a final tune-up before conference championships at the end of the month. In the largest Division II-only cross country meet in the country, the Peacocks competed alongside some of the top programs in the nation while enduring cold temperatures and 20+ MPH winds. The UIU women placed 32nd (948 points), while the men placed 34th (1104 points).
The women's race featured six nationally-ranked teams and eight additional regionally-ranked teams. Grand Valley St. averaged 22:46.8 to collect 32 points for the team title. Senior Allie Ludge crossed the finish line with the fastest time of the race (22:12.1) to pave the way for the Lakers. Fellow NSIC member Augustana University finished runner-up with 119 points and a 23:19.9 average.
Eleven nationally-ranked teams competed in the men's race as well as an additional nine teams in the regional rankings. Grand Valley St. won the men's team title thanks to 87 points and a 25:43.9 team average. Missouri Southern State's Gidieon Kimutai ran the 8k in 25:07.2 to win the men's individual title, which fueled MSSU to a second place overall finish with 114 points. Augustana earned a third place finish with 133 points.
Madison Brownrigg continued her streak of leading the women's squad, clocking a 24:43.7 to place 137th. Ashley Donovan ran the 6k in 25:50.3 to come in second for the Peacocks and place 252nd overall. Christonna Shafranski turned a time of 26:40.4 (299th) and Serianna Dehmlow was right at her heals with a 26:44.0 time (301st). Isabelle Gryga rounded out the top-5 runners with a 26:55.3 race (314th). Sidney Schnor also ran for the Peacocks, crossing the finish line in 27:48.6.
The men were led by Grant Dieken's 29:41.1 finish (340th). Dalton Schaffer (348th) and David Snider (357th) were not too far behind Dieken with 29:56.1 and 30:14.8 times, respectively. Samuel Thomas ran the 8k in 33:55.5 (407th) and Zach Dingbaum rounded things out by clocking a 35:18.5 time (418th).
The Peacocks have one last week off before the NSIC Championships on Oct. 26 in Wayne, Neb.
