Findlay Has Big Day at Midwest Regional in Evansville
Evansville, Ind. – The University of Findlay men's and women's cross country teams were in Evansville, Indiana for the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional on Saturday, Nov. 6. The Oilers men finished 12th out of 30 teams while the women took 15th out of 30. For the men, that is an improvement of 16 spots from the last time a regional was held as the Oilers finished 28th in 2019. It is also the men's highest finish at the event since taking 11th in 2011. For the women, it's their highest finish since taking 14th in 2016.
Findlay's men were led again by G-MAC Champion and Conference Runner of the Year Noah Fisher who has been breaking records since he stepped on campus. Fisher, who finished eighth, completed the 10K race in a time of 30:30, setting a new program best by almost a full minute and setting the fourth-best time in conference history. The old Findlay record was 31:24 and set in 2016 by Jonathan Allen. Fisher has become the first all-region performer for the Oilers men since Shaoyb Bascal in 2011, the only other all-region performer in program history.
The Oilers' next finisher was freshman Jordan Foster who completed the race in a time of 31:56 which ties the now third-best time in program history, pulling even with Tim Majoy who ran a 31:56 in 2012. Foster took 42nd in the race.
Putting up the eighth-best 10K time in program history was freshman Kaden Harvey who completed the race in 33:06.3 (97th) while freshman Tyler Knestrick (115th) had a top-15 time in program history, as well, finishing the event in 3:38.6.
Freshman Connor Hill took 134th and finished the race in 34:00 while freshman Dylan Hickey (155 / 34:54), and freshman Colin Moats (171 / 35:43) also competed for the Oilers.
On the women's side, the Oilers were led with a standout performance by junior Gabrielle Lawrence made history, setting a school record with a time of 21:29 in the 6,000 meter race. Lawrence's time bested the old record, set in 2016 by Taylor Bolinger, by eight seconds. With that mark, Lawrence finished in 14th in the race and has earned all-region honors, the first female runner at Findlay to achieve all-region since Christine Zimmerman did so in 2011. She is the fifth women in program history to earn all-region.
Also working her way into the record books is freshman Hailey Simmons who finished in 61st in the race with a time of 22:20.2, the seventh-fastest 6k time in program history.
Freshman Maya Hamsher crossed the line in 23:01 to take 93rd and was followed by freshman Ava Beam who took 95th with a 23:05. Freshman Reilly Cozette (23:34), freshman Hailey Wilson (23:48.4), and freshman Natalie Dayharsh (24:10) all competed, as well.
Noah Fisher and Gabrielle Lawrence will await the at-large selections on Monday to see if they have earned a spot to the NCAA DII National Championship in St. Leo, Florida on Nov. 20.