PUEBLO, Colo. — MSU Denver cross country wrapped up an impressive day at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships on Saturday at Walking Stick Golf Course, with both the men's and women's teams posting their best collective performances in years — highlighted by multiple personal bests and top-10 team finishes.
The women's team placed ninth overall in the 6k eve, marking the program's first top-10 regional finish since 2021. Senior Tanis Chavez led the way, placing 37th with a personal-best time of 22:05.2. She was closely followed by Constance O'Neal, who also ran a personal best at 22:16.9 to take 46th, and Paige Tack, who crossed in 51st (22:31.5). Peyton Meier finished 60th (22:42.0), and Ellie Shaw rounded out the scoring in 90th (23:15.5).
Payton Rusk (95th, 23:23.1) and Abi Read (97th, 23:26.5) also ran personal bests, contributing to one of the program's strongest postseason showings under head coach Janis Christopher.
On the men's side, the Roadrunners turned in a stellar team effort to finish seventh overall in the 10k event— their highest regional finish since placing fourth in 2015. Every scoring runner recorded a personal best over the 10K course, showcasing MSU Denver's depth and late-season form.
Jonathan Duran led the Roadrunners in 34th place (31:36.2), just ahead of Darren Hayden, who took 35th (31:38.6). Jordan Duran finished 43rd (31:55.9), while Shota Yabuuchi (63rd, 32:22.2) and Cian Nagle (64th, 32:24.9) rounded out the scoring — all with career-best marks. Charlie Geisler (81st, 33:05.4) and Eisen Dacus (111th, 34:01.2) also posted personal records on the day.
The Roadrunners will now wait until Monday to see if any individuals will earn an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II National Championships, scheduled for November 22 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
