Complete Results

MADISON, Wis. – Redshirt freshman James Sugira delivered an All-American worthy performance to lead the Eastern Kentucky University men's cross country team to a 16^th place finish at the NCAA Division-I Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.
 
It is the second-best national finish in program history, nearly topping the Colonels' 15^th place finish at the 2013 NCAA Championships.
 
EKU came into the meet ranked No. 21 in the country, but finished with 430 points on the day to take 16^th place.
 
The Colonels defeated the likes of Ole Miss (17^th), Indiana (18^th), Michigan (19^th), Villanova (23^rd), Arkansas (25^th), Syracuse (26^th), Texas (27^th) and Florida State (31^st).
 
In his first-ever NCAA Championships appearance, Sugira battled snowy Wisconsin conditions to finish 14^th out of 252 of the best distance runners in the country. He covered the rugged 10K course in a time of 29:35.6.
 
Sugira's performance earned him All-America honors.
 
It marks the 14^th time an EKU runner has earned NCAA cross country All-America honors.
 
Sugira's 14^th place finish is the best by a Colonel at the NCAA meet since Jacob Korir took sixth in 2007.
 
Senior Jaime Romo was second on the team and 82^nd overall with a time of 30:29.4.
 
Three Colonels then finished in a pack to seal the 16^th place finish. Senior Erick Rotich was 144^th (31:00.8), followed closely by senior David Bascuñana (146^th / 31:02.2) and freshman Antoine Senard (148^th / 31:02.7).
 
Juniors Samuel Abascal (199^th / 31:40.6) and Zach Stewart (206^th / 31:47.1) also competed for the Colonels on the day.
 
No. 1 Northern Arizona won its third straight national title with a score of 83 points.
 
This was the EKU men's sixth trip to the NCAA Championships and first since 2015.