Haskell Indian Nations Wins 2024 CAC Men’s Cross Country Title

With four of the top five finishers, Haskell Indian Nations University (Kansas) ran away with the 2024 Continental Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Championship on Friday morning at Holloway Park in Lakeland, Florida, hosted by Florida College.

Haskell Indian Nations compiled a 20-point team score to win its second consecutive conference title. Florida College placed second with 48 points, followed by Spartanburg Methodist College (South Carolina) at 80 points for third place.

Rounding out the competition were Florida National University, 91 points, and Washington Adventist University (Maryland), 150 points.

Runners placing in the top five earned first all-conference team honors while finishers in sixth through 10th places garnered second all-CAC team accolades.

Haskell Indian Nations' Dyami Berridge won the league's individual title, crossing the finish line of the 8-kilometer race in 27:05. That edged out teammate Preston Ironheart by 31 seconds. Other teammates in the top five finishers were Jonathan Fragua, fourth in 28:38, and Burton Miner III, fifth in 28:40. Jeffrey Deroche rounded out the team's championship effort with an eighth-place finish to earn second all-CAC team honors.

Sam Johnson led Florida College's effort with a third-place finish in 28:01, while Jesse Boyd placed sixth. Daniel Collins received second all-CAC team honors after having a 10th-place finish.

Florida National was paced by Mario Martinez's seventh-place finish and Dimitrios Gkantatsios finished ninth.

Caleb Williams led Spartanburg Methodist with a 12th-place finish in 30:17. Ryan Hunter followed closely behind in 14th place with a time of 30:32 in the meet.

Washington Adventist was anchored by Ian Sanchez, who placed 32nd.

As CAC champions, Haskell Indian Nations advances to compete in the NAIA national championship on November 22 in Columbia, Missouri. Individual national qualifying runners, based on their strong CAC meet finishes, are Florida College's Johnson and Boyd, as well as Florida National's Martinez and Gkantatsios.

RESULTS

2024 Continental Athletic Conference Men's Cross Country Championship

Runner of the Year: Dyami Berridge, Haskell Indian Nations University

Individual National Qualifiers: Sam Johnson, Florida College; Jesse Boyd, Florida College; Mario Martinez, Florida National University; Dimitrios Gkantatsios, Florida National University

Team Standings

1. Haskell Indian Nations University, 20 points
2. Florida College, 48 points
3. Spartanburg Methodist College, 80 points
4. Florida National University, 91 points
5. Washington Adventist University, 150 points

First-Team All-Conference (Top 5 Finishers)

Dyami Berridge, Haskell Indian Nations University

Preston Ironheart, Haskell Indian Nations University

Sam Johnson, Florida College

Jonathan Fragua, Haskell Indian Nations University

Burton Miner III, Haskell Indian Nations University

Second-Team All-Conference (6-10 Place Finishers)

Jesse Boyd, Florida College

Mario Martinez, Florida National University

Jeffrey DeRoche, Haskell Indian Nations University

Dimitrious Gkantatsios, Florida National University

Daniel Collins, Florida College

Champion of Character

Gustav Looper, Florida College

Mario Martinez, Florida National University

Burton Miner III, Haskell Indian Nations University

Omarion Ocampo-Rios, Spartanburg Methodist College

Ian Sanchez, Washington Adventist University