Three members of Grace College’s cross country team competed at the NAIA National Championships on Friday.
Bryan Hernandez-Rios, Heather Plastow and Mallory Hiatt all performed well in the national meet.
“This was a great day for our cross country programs. These three have led our teams all year, and it was fun to test ourselves against the best of the best on a muddy course in April,” said Grace head coach Jake Poyner. “It was a fantastic learning experience, and I’m extremely proud of these three and their spirits of gratitude and flexibility in the midst of a tumultuous year.”
Hernandez-Rios placed 45th in the nation out of 317 runners. He finished in a time of 25:36.92, a personal-best time for him.
In the women’s race, Plastow finished 58th out of 326 runners with a time of 18:48.99. Hiatt was 119th as a freshman, crossing the finish line in 19:21.40.
“Bryan ran a very smart race and had a huge personal best,” Poyner continued. “Heather also just barely missed her personal best, and Mallory and she learned some great lessons about what to do differently to get out faster in the future. It was a great day for all three Lancers.”
Both teams enjoyed tremendous success during the cross country season under Coach Poyner. The teams appeared together in the NAIA Top 25 Coaches’ Poll for the first time ever. Both teams end the year in the “Receiving Votes” section of the NAIA poll.
To see complete NAIA meet results, click here.
