Lucky Seven; Colorado College Men Earn Seventh Straight SCAC Cross Country Championship

Lucky Seven; Colorado College Men Earn Seventh Straight SCAC Cross Country Championship

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The 25th-ranked Colorado College Tigers posted the third-lowest score in conference meet history and defended their men's cross country crown with a commanding 47-point victory Saturday morning at Governor Bill & Vara Daniel Farm & Ranch on the campus of Prairie View A&M University. Complete Results | Official Website | Photo Album | Interview with Colorado College Head Coach Alex Nichols | Interview with SCAC Runner of the Year Will Shuflit

The win marked the seventh consecutive conference title for the CC Tigers, the longest streak in the program's history since joining the conference prior to the 2006 season and tied for the second-longest streak by one program in league history (DePauw University also posted a seven consecutive championships from 2000-06). Rhodes College won nine straight men's cross country championships from 1991 to 1999.

The host school, University of St. Thomas, registered a runner-up finish - the best in program history since joining the SCAC in 2019 - with 63 points and Texas Lutheran University finished third with 102 points - the program's fourth top three team finish at the SCAC Championships since joining the conference.

For the second consecutive year, Colorado College had eight runners finish in the top 14 to earn all-SCAC honors, led by junior Will Shuflit who earned Runner of the Year honors for the second straight year. Shuflit posted the third-fastest time in championships history (24:50.38), 23 seconds ahead of the runner-up. The victory continued the program's dominance at posting the event's top medalist, with Shuflit becoming the 17th individual winner over the last 20 championships to win wearing CC black and gold.

Shuflit is also the third straight CC runner to earn back-to-back medalist honors at the conference meet, following Josh Fry (2020-21 and 2021) and James Settles (2022 and 2023). With one more year of eligibility remaining, he will attempt to become just the fifth SCAC man to win three individual cross country titles and join previous three-time winners Thomas Pillow of Trinity (1996, 1997 and 1999), Graham Wellman of DePauw (2002, 2003 and 2004) and former CC runners Jackson Brainerd (2009, 2010 and 2011) and Nick Hall (2012, 2013 and 2014).

In addition to Shuflit, seven other CC men earned all-SCAC honors, including seniors Rabbit Barnes and Axel Klomprens who finished second and third, respectively, in times of 25:13.75 and 25:13.76 - the 12th and 13th fastest finishes in championships history. It was the fourth straight all-SCAC performance for Barnes and the second straight year Klomprens has finished third. Sophomores Vincent Mangat and Diego Escalante were fourth and sixth, respectively, in times of 25:17.78 (15th-fastest in SCAC meet history) and 25:20.07. Mangat was fourth a year ago when he won First-Year Runner of the Year honors.

Rounding out the CC all-conference contingent were first-years Zach McNaul and Lincoln Brewer, who placed 11th and 12th, respectively, in times of 25:48.08 and 25:49.71. Junior Eric Combs was 14th in a finishing time of 25:52.37.

The team title represents an SCAC-record 13th overall for the Colorado College men's cross country program (2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020/21, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025), two more than former SCAC member Rhodes College for the most men's cross country titles in conference history.

St. Thomas picked up three all-SCAC performances on its way to its best-ever finish, led by junior Micah Hampton, who came in eighth in a time of 25:34.70. First-year Elijah Emerson followed closely in ninth, crossing the line in a time of 25:40.84. As the first freshman across the tape, Emerson earned SCAC Men's First-Year Runner of the Year honors - making him just the second Celt to earn the honor after Andres Padron received that designation in 2021. Sophomore Johnathan Castro earned his second straight all-conference medal, earning the honor this year with his 13th place finish in 25:51.16.

Texas Lutheran's Jonas Martinez paced the Bulldogs to their third-place team finish, breaking his own program record in the 8K and finishing the race in 25:29.94 to finish in seventh place. The seventh place finish is the highest finish in program history, surpassing Caleb Calderon's eighth place finish in 2018.

Behind a fifth-place finish from junior Matthew Dunsworth, University of the Ozarks posted its highest finish at a conference championship since 2019 placing fourth among the 11 team field with 108 points and just six points behind Texas Lutheran. Dunsworth finished in a time of 25:19.90 to become the first Eagle to earn all-SCAC honors at the championship meet.

McMurry University posted its second-straight fifth place finish at the conference championship meet, finishing with 127 points at this year's event. Senior Roman Perez paced the War Hawks with a 16th-place finish in a time of 25:56.62. LeTourneau University, led by senior David Dugan, finished in sixth in its inaugural appearance at the SCAC championship meet with 136 points. Dugan's finish of 25:46.74 was good for 10th place and etched the senior's name in the record book as the program's first-ever all-SCAC honoree.

Rounding out the team standings, Schreiner University placed seventh with 219 points, Concordia University (Texas) was eighth with 238 points, Hendrix College, making its first appearance at the SCAC championships since 2011, was ninth with 294 points, University of Dallas was 10th with 307 points and Centenary College was 11th with 330 points.

2025 Men's Cross Country - Team Standings
1. Colorado College - 16
2. University of St. Thomas - 63
3. Texas Lutheran University - 102
4. University of the Ozarks - 108
5. McMurry University - 127
6. LeTourneau University - 136
7. Schreiner University - 219
8. Concordia University (Texas) - 238
9. Hendrix College - 294
10. University of Dallas - 307
11. Centenary College - 330

2025 Men's Cross Country All-Conference Team
1. Will Shuflit, Colorado College - 24:50.38
2. Rabbit Barnes, Colorado College - 25:13.75
3. Axel Klomparens, Colorado College - 25:13.76
4. Vincent Mangat, Colorado College - 25:17.78
5. Matthew Dunsworth, University of the Ozarks - 25:19.90
6. Diego Escalante, Colorado College - 26:20.07
7. Jonas Martinez, Texas Lutheran University - 25:29.94
8. Micah Hampton, University of St. Thomas - 25:34.70
9. Elijah Emerson, University of St. Thomas - 25:40.84
10. David Dugan, LeTourneau University - 25:46.74
11. Zach McNaul, Colorado College - 25:48.08
12. Lincoln Brewer, Colorado College - 25:49.71
13. Johnathan Castro, University of St. Thomas - 25:51.16
14. Eric Coombs, Colorado College - 25:52.37

2025 Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year
Will Shuflit, Colorado College

2025 Men's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year
Elijah Emerson, University of St. Thomas

2025 Men's Cross Country Elite 19 Recipient
David Dugan, LeTourneau University

Next up, SCAC teams will have the opportunity to compete at various NCAA Division III Regional Meets on Saturday, November 15. The West Region meet (Colorado College, Concordia University (Texas), University of Dallas, LeTourneau University, McMurry University, Schreiner University, University of St. Thomas and Texas Lutheran University) will be held at the Pomona-Pitzer Cross Country Course in Claremont, California, the Midwest Region meet (Hendrix College and Univeristy of the Ozarks) will be held at the Max Cross Country Course in Waverly, Iowa, and the South Region meet (Centenary College) will be held at Green Hill Park in Salem, Virginia.

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