Cedar Rapids, Iowa – Each year the Heart of America Conference Championship has been the qualifier for the NAIA National Championship thus requiring the best from each individual and team. This year the competition included five teams that received votes in the NAIA rankings throughout the season. After a season of constant improvement, the Pioneers were primed and ready to give their all against very strong competition on a very fast course in great racing weather.
For the women of MidAmerica Nazarene University, they lined up against three teams which received votes in National rankings this year and another which had seen votes in the past years. The perennial powerhouses of Benedictine and Mount Mercy were joined by two new conference teams, William Woods and Missouri Baptist, which went one and two, respectively, in their previous conference last year. With the competition, the Pioneers lined up with determination written on their faces.
In the first mile, Benedictine took charge with a quick start, leaving the opponents in a battle for the runner-up spots. The Pioneers;
Bella Meili,
Anna McKnight,
Riley J. Filmore,
Julia Swearengin,
Lana Smittick,
Gracie Enochs,
Josie McClung, and
Kennedy Krotzinger; also got out to their quickest start all season. Meili led the team with a top ten start, setting herself up for a possible trip to Nationals. McKnight, only four seconds back, worked through the crowd in the top 25, breaking the six minute mark. Smittick and Filmore were split by only three seconds, running in the top thirty-five. Swearengin was eight seconds back from Filmore to round out the scoring five. Only 23 seconds separated the top five Pioneers. A constant stream of harriers flowed across the mile mark with senior Enochs of the Pioneers 13 seconds from Swearengin. Meanwhile, Krotzinger and McClung worked together another 20 seconds from Enochs. The Pioneers were running well.
By the 5k mark with only 1k left, the Pioneers had flown through this section to set personal bests. Meili had broken the 19 minute mark for the first time as McKnight and Filmore bettered 20 minutes. Swearengin and Smittick also sailed through the 5k with their top marks to keep the Pioneers in the top five teams. Enochs, McClung, and Krotzinger were not to be outdone, also grabbing their best 5k splits or personal bests. Only 1k was left to shatter their previous 6k bests.
In the final 1k, the Pioneers locked it in with determination still clinging to each face. Meili grabbed another opponent to finish eighth overall, giving her All-Conference recognition and a ticket to Nationals. McKnight took a top 30 spot while Filmore and Swearengin finished in the top 50. Smittick finished just under the top 60 as she rounded out the scoring. Enochs grabbed two more opponents in the final stretch while burying her previous best. Always the tough finisher, McClung led the team with the most competitors passed in the final 1k, eight, before the finish line. Krotzinger drove hard to grab one more, too.
After a hard-fought battle, all the Pioneer women ended up with personal bests, 30 seconds to close to a minute and 30 seconds. They also moved up the ladder from last year as they took fifth place overall. Only two teams from the previous year's conference meet beat them with Benedictine and Mount Mercy going one and two, respectively. Newcomers Missouri Baptist and William Woods slipped in front of the Pioneers, taking third and fourth, in that order.
Similar to the women's meet, the men's competition was fierce with two teams, Benedictine and Mount Mercy, receiving votes in National rankings and another continuing to impress as it, Park, had not lost to a conference foe all season while winning a few invitationals. The Pioneer men were looking to set personal bests and climb the conference ladder, even with the addition of two new teams.
At mile one, Benedictine had its top runner in the lead with a second spread over the pack. The pack was loaded with over fifty-five athletes within seven seconds. In that pack,
Ray Kosgei led the Pioneers at 26th with
Aidan Scherman two seconds back around 50th. Following that lead pack there was a break, but then the second pack began with a continuous stream.
Jacob Hendrickson and
Ken Morgan worked together through the first mile with competitors packed closely around them.
Patrick Jacobs was the final scorer for the Pioneers as he moved up on Park and Graceland opponents. Next for the Pioneer men,
Brenton King and
Jackson Elsey pushed each other onward, gaining on the nearest competitor.
Josiah Robinson closed out the Pioneer men, taking a slower start as he started his move.
With a 5k completed, Mount Mercy was leading the scoring with Park starting their move. Most of the Pioneers had moved up the pack, Kosgei now in the top 10 with a 5k personal best. Scherman did his part passing eight athletes while Hendrickson and Morgan took down an additional seven opponents each. Jacobs grabbed another 11 harriers while Robinson, who was in full passing mode, took down 24. King and Elsey were still together, working their magic through the crowd to grab eight each. Seven Pioneers had their fastest 5k split of the season as three set personal bests.
By mile 4, Park was taking charge with four in the top six. However, Mount Mercy was not giving up on their home course as they had four in the top 8. Meanwhile, the Pioneers were continuing to fight hard with Kosgei, Scherman, and Morgan slipping back while Hendrickson and Jacobs moved up in the standings. Robinson and King held firm to their positions with Elsey losing contact with King. With a little less than a mile to go, all of the Pioneers were within striking distance of setting personal or seasonal 8k bests. In the team standings, they held firmly to eighth.
The last mile was a tough one for the Pioneer men, but they dug deeply and fought to the end. Kosgei took 18th place to finish two places better than the previous year while setting a personal best. Scherman, who was a strong addition this year, finished just outside of the top 50. Hendrickson held position through the final mile as he bettered his previous best by 12 seconds. Morgan followed him with a 20 second improvement. Jacobs grabbed another opponent before the line to close out the Pioneer scoring, bettering his previous best by 49 seconds. Robinson and King held positions through the final mile while posting incredible improvements of over two minutes from previous bests. Elsey was the final Pioneer to cross the line as he hit a seasonal best by 50 seconds.
Like the Pioneer women, the men fought hard to claim six personal bests and one seasonal best. Overall, the team took eighth place, a position they had locked in most of the race while Park and Mount Mercy went one and two, respectively. This equaled their place of 2024, but they did climb a rung on the ladder as two more teams were added to the conference and they beat a conference foe they had not previously this season.
In summary, the Pioneers had a great day with an All-Conference team member and National qualifier in Meili, fourteen personal bests, and one seasonal best.
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