CROSS COUNTRY

Abbey Gentz did it again. The Huntington standout claimed first place in the women’s White Division 5K at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge on Saturday at Riverside Park, crossing the finish line in 17:51.0, a 5:44.7 average mile pace, to win by 17 seconds over her nearest competitor. The victory marks the third time Gentz has topped the scoring field in the four races she has competed in this fall, cementing her status as one of the premier distance runners in the NAIA.

Gentz’s dominant performance headlined a strong showing for the Huntington women’s squad, which finished 11th out of 20 teams in the White Division with 297 points in a field of 187 runners. Sophomore Ethne Kropp was the Foresters’ second finisher, placing eighth overall with a time of 19:06.2 – a strong effort that kept Huntington in the team scoring conversation through the early counting positions.

The Foresters’ remaining scorers spread across the field, with Leah Price placing 79th in 20:39.9, Rachel Byler checking in at 113th in 21:32.4, Josie Goble finishing 183rd in 27:13.9, and Lily Hegenberger rounding out the HU women’s contingent in 184th at 27:38.1.

On the men’s side, four Foresters competed individually in the White Division, which featured 234 runners, but did not score as a team. Ben Roberts led the HU men’s pack with a 139th-place finish in 28:42.5. Jayden Cornett followed in 204th at 30:59.6, Jaden Binkley placed 223rd in 33:44.1, and Isaac Thurber rounded out the group in 226th at 34:28.4.

The Great Lakes Challenge, hosted by Aquinas College, featured two competitive divisions — Maroon and White — with Huntington competing in the White Division throughout.

Up Next
The Foresters turn their attention to the postseason, traveling to Upland for the Crossroads League Championships on November 6 to be hosted on the campus of Taylor University.