Hanak Leads Trojans to Second at the Crossroads League Championships
Crossroads League Championship Central | Race Highlights
UPLAND, Ind. – The No. 12 Taylor men's cross country squad competed in the Crossroads League Championships on Friday morning and had a terrific outing, finishing in second with 71 points.
The Trojans outpaced No. 10 Grace, No. 11 Goshen, and No. 23 Huntington in an impressive display, which saw Ryan Hanak pace the team for the first time this year. Outside of Indiana Wesleyan, Taylor was the only school to place three runners in the top 15 and two runners in the top ten, both of which bode well for the NAIA National Championships on November 17.
Hanak was joined by Nathan Burns and Luke Harber as Trojans who finished All-Crossroads League. Hanak placed seventh with a time of 25:24.7, and Burns was right on his heels in eighth at 25:28.0. Harber finished with a time of 25:45.1, which landed him in 15th place.
Despite strong winds, Alex Ortiz had a breakout race, setting a personal best of 26:08.4, and finished as the fourth Trojan in 20th, with Ben Eiffert breathing down his neck in 21st with a time of 26:09.2. Ortiz placed in the top five for TU for the first time in his career, while Eiffert had a huge kick to guarantee the Trojans placed second.
Jordan Burden also had a personal best with a time of 27:15.9 in the harsh conditions. The Trojans have continued to improve throughout the season, with over half of the team setting personal bests in the most recent two races.
The Taylor men are set to compete at the NAIA National Championships on Saturday, November 17, in Vancouver, Washington, with the race beginning at 11:30 am.
