GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- Another strong performance from Tyler Anderson helped the NAIA No. 24-ranked University of St. Francis men's cross country team upset host Aquinas College (Mich.) at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge on Saturday morning.  In a race that featured 13 teams in the maroon division either ranked or among others receiving votes in the latest NAIA Coaches' Poll, the Fighting Saints registered an 11th-place showing out of 23 teams.

Anderson placed 19th overall out of 204 runners, completing the 8K course in 24:47.6.  Miguel Garcia also finished in the Top 25 with his time of 24:51.3.  That put him 21st.

USF gained the rest of its scoring from Scott Crabb (57th, 25:22.1), Alberto Fernandez Arango (103rd, 25:53.7) and Jack Wright (105th, 25:53.9).

NAIA No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan University ran away with the meet title by having its five scoring runners finish no lower than 29th place, topped by fourth and sixth place finishers Trenton Sweet and Josh Bainbridge, respectively.  The Wildcats finished with 79 points.

NAIA No. 5 Taylor University (Ind.) was a distant second with 122 points, followed by No. 14 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) (142), No. 10 Indiana University East (186), No. 8 Marian University (Ind.) (200).  The Saints registered 295 points, nipping out No. 16 Aquinas, which totaled 300 points.

Madonna University's Mehdi Nait Hamoud was named the meet champion with his first place time of 24:18.10, barley edging out Goshen University's Drew Hogan by one-tenth of a second.

Up Next
The Saints will be looking to defend their 2024 conference title when they compete in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships on Nov. 8 at Aspen Ridge Golf Course in Bourbonnais, Ill.

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