CEDARVILLE, Ohio —
It didn’t come nearly as easy as the first one did, but the Oklahoma Christian Eagles persevered on Saturday morning and ended up in the same place as last year — smiling and holding a national championship banner.
With four runners finishing in the top 10 — and seven in the top 30 — OC held off Malone (Ohio) to win the NCCAA Championship meet on the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course. OC posted a team score of 41, while the Pioneers finished at 54.
In doing so, the Eagles won the program’s second national title in as many years. In 2011, OC put on a dominating performance to win the NAIA Championship race in Vancouver, Wash. With the university having started the NCAA Division II membership process in September, the Eagles couldn’t defend their NAIA crown, but they left little doubt Saturday that they remain a small-college cross country power, no matter the level of competition.
“The men ran a great team race,” said OC coach Wade Miller, who was named as the NCCAA coach of the year. “I’m so proud of the heart that everyone showed. We knew that Malone was a very strong team with a great tradition and in order to challenge them for the title, all seven of our runners would have to rise to the occasion.
All seven of OC’s runners raced at or near the front of the 39-team, 281-man field on a morning with temperatures in the 50s and a stiff, cool breeze.
Senior Geoffrey Njonjo led the Eagles, finishing second on the grassy, 8,000-meter course with a time of 25:10.84. Sophomore Roberto Diaz, who hadn’t completed a race since mid-September because of a balky back, returned to competition with a fourth-place finish in 25:18.85.
Another senior, Brayden Barrientez, ran perhaps his best race as a collegian to finish fifth in 25:20.71, picking off a handful of runners during the stretch run. OC’s third senior, David McWilliams, gave the Eagles a fourth top-10 placer, finishing 10th in 25:34.16.
The Eagles’ final three runners — freshmen Bryant Keirns and Timothy Zuercher and sophomore Brennym Kaelin — finished seconds apart, not much further back. Keirns was 23rd in 26:24.18, sealing the win for OC. Kaelin was just a step behind, finishing 24th in 26:25.02, and Zuercher was 28th in 26:33.68.
“It was kind of surreal to be watching the race and yelling, and in a span of 30 seconds, all of our runners went by,” Miller said. “It got spread out a little at the end, but it was a great feeling, definitely.”
Malone, which had won the NCCAA title a whopping 21 times – including six of the past seven years – had the individual winner in Andrew Trusty, who finished in 25:00.16, but OC beat the Pioneers at every other position. Malone’s next four runners finished eighth, ninth, 15th and 25th, respectively.
“Each runner did what was needed and left everything on the course,” Miller said. “Our seniors have given so much to the program and I’m thrilled that they were rewarded with a national championship. They have been pushing the underclassmen to improve and that showed in the poise that every runner, one through seven, displayed today.”
After OC and Malone, California Baptist (84) was third in the team race, followed by Roberts Wesleyan (N.Y.) (180) and Arizona Christian (226).
OC finished way ahead of two of its Heartland Conference rivals in the race. McMurry (Texas) was ninth at 313 and Dallas Baptist (Texas) — which tied for the conference title — was 13th at 373. OC’s first six runners beat the Heartland Conference champion, Joshua Pauley of DBU, who finished 27th, one spot ahead of the Eagles’ No. 7 runner, Zuercher.
The Heartland Conference decided to not allow OC to run in the conference meet, held three weeks ago, thus costing the Eagles a slew of conference honors. But by finishing in the top 15, OC had a quartet of runners receive NCCAA All-America honors — Njonjo, Diaz, Barrientez and McWilliams. It was the third cross country All-America honor for Njonjo, who had twice been an NAIA All-America pick, and the second for McWilliams, who made the NAIA All-America team last year.
The national title was the seventh in OC’s history. Five of those (men’s tennis in 2003 and 2012, men’s golf in 2009 and 2011 and last year’s cross country title) came in the NAIA. OC’s men’s golf team won the NCCAA title last month in Panama City Beach, Fla.
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Eagles win national XC title for 2nd straight year
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Edmond Santa Fe's Taylor heading to Central Florida
Danielle Taylor, fresh off a Central District Youth Rowing Championship victory on the Oklahoma River at the start of the month, followed up the success by signing a letter of intent in rowing with Central Florida at Edmond Santa Fe High School.
Though Santa Fe does not offer rowing as a team sport, Taylor competes for OKC Riversport on the Junior Crew which competes on the Oklahoma River.
Taylor missed her junior season due to an injury, but Coach Brian Ebke knew the Santa Fe athlete would be raring to go her senior season.
“She’s an extremely hard worker,” Ebke lauded. “Her work ethic is impeccable.” -
Bronchos hit final match play spot in first round
Dillon Rust got off to a blazing start and ended up shooting a one-under-par 70 to lead Central Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf Championships in Hershey, Pa. Tuesday.
Rust birdied four of his first five holes en route to his under-par round and the Bronchos ended up with a 300 on the day, giving them a 36-hole total of 597. The 300 leaves UCO eighth in the 20-team field heading into final round of stroke play, with the top eight teams advancing to match play that will determine the national champion. -
Area players earn All-State honors on the diamond
Three area baseball players were selected to the All-State Team this week.
Right-handed pitcher Holden Lyons from Edmond North, made the team after posting a perfect 7-0 mark with an ultra-low 1.29 earned run average.
Deer Creek’s Cole Lindley made it as an outfielder and Oklahoma Christian’s Austin Brooks landed on the list in the designated hitter’s spot.
The threesome will compete on the Large West squad on July 30 at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa. -
Tennis camps offered in Edmond
Edmond Raquet Club is offering a pair of tennis camps beginning May 28.
For ages 5-8, a camp is offered from 8:45-9:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and for ages 7-15 a tennis camp is available from 6-6:55 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Both camps run from May 28-June 13 and cost is $99 per camp.
A camp session for ages 8-16 will run on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30-9:25 a.m. May 29-June 12 for the identical cost.
For more information concerning these camps and others, call 341-4241. -
UCO winds up 10th nationally
Taylor Neidy fired a final-round 75, but Central Oklahoma failed to move up in the team standings at the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships in Daytona Beach, Fla. Saturday.
The Bronchos closed with a 323 — making 11 double bogeys and three triples — and finished 10th in the four-day, 72-hole tournament with a 1,298 total on the 6,228-yard, par-72 Arthur Hills Legends Course at LPGA International.
Lynn ended Nova Southeastern’s four-year reign as national championships, finishing with a 1,187 total to edge the Sharks by three strokes. -
Central Oklahoma softballers make World Series again
Hayley Hudson gave Central Oklahoma a 5-4 lead with a run-scoring single in the fifth inning and the No. 19-ranked Bronchos staved off a seventh-inning Winona State threat to capture the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional championship Saturday afternoon at Edmond North High School.
The Warriors put two runners on with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a bid to pull out a late win and force a deciding game in the best-of-three series, but left fielder Devyn Frazier made a running catch in foul territory for the final out to set off a wild celebration on the field.
UCO improved to 47-11 — a school-record for wins — with its 23th consecutive home victory and advanced to the Division II World Series for the second straight year. The Bronchos will face Armstrong Atlantic in the eight-team World Series at 11 a.m. Thursday in Salem, Va.
“I’d say that was a nail-biter,” head coach Genny Stidham said. “It was a good game, both teams played well. Winona has a great team and they didn’t give up, but we came up with some big plays and came out on top. -
Central Oklahoma golf coach picks up award
Central Oklahoma’s Michael Bond has been named the NCAA Division II Central Region Coach of the Year by the Women’s Golf Coaches Association, with Aly Seng and Erica Bensch both earning All-Central Region honors.
Bond led the Bronchos to perhaps the best season in school history in 2012-13 with top-five finishes in 10 of their 12 tournaments. UCO won three titles, including the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association crown and its first-ever regional championship, and finished 10th in the Division II national tournament. -
Workman's blast cranks UCO's engine; Bronchos cruise to 5-2 win
Nicole Workman’s solo home run gave Central Oklahoma a lead it would never relinquish and the No. 19-ranked Bronchos went on to topple Winona State 5-2 in the first game of the NCAA Division II Central Super Regional Friday night at the Edmond North High School Softball Complex.
Workman blasted her 14th homer of the season to lead off the second inning, with UCO adding three runs in the third and one more in the fifth to take a commanding 5-0 lead before the Warriors created some anxious moments in their final at bat.
WSU scored two runs and had runners on second and third on with just one out in the top of the seventh, but Kalynn Shrock got the final two batters to close out her fourth straight complete-game outing of the postseason and put the Bronchos in control of the best-of-three series. -
Richters rip competition at KickingBird
The KickingBird 2-man scramble was won by Jeff and Josh Richter, finishing with a 57.9 on May 11.
Jeff Jester and Kevin Wright wrapped up second-place honors with a 59.9 and Rick Morales and Ronnie Roberts placed third (60.1).
In the second flight, the top score was 60.4 by Jerry Bernhardt and Ted Carter. Picking up silver was the tandem of Jerry Fuller and Ramona Jacobi (61.2) and the third-place squad was Dyke Hoppe and Mark VanSickle at 62.0.
Morales was closest to the pin on No. 6 and Jeff Richter landed a dart on hole 14. -
Eagles' season finished; Lopez earns national honor
Southeastern, Fla. eliminated Oklahoma Christian 4-0 om the National Christian College Athletic Association World Series in Mason, Ohio today to advance to the tournament semifinals, while OC closes at 26-26.
OC would have advanced to the semifinals with a win, but completed a terrific turnaround from an 8-34 season in 2012. The Eagles made only the second national-tournament appearance in the program's history, with the other coming in 1972, when OC finished third in the NAIA World Series. - More Sports Headlines
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