Posted: Oct 22, 2022

Back to Back Champions

October 22, 2022 | by Taylor Pill

STORY

ANKENY, Iowa -- Thanks to well-executed pack running and a lung-busting performance from Jeremy Fopma, the Sabercats Men's Cross Country team has defended the NCCAA North Region Championship.

This is the second year in a row that the team has captured the title, as the event was inaugurated in 2021.

The women's 5K was tightly packed from start to finish, and the Sabercats ended up edging Emmaus Bible College by just two points to get on the podium in third place as a team. Amber Brungard held the 3rd-place spot from the first mile all the way to the finish as she set a PR to secure an all-region placement, and Anna Morken, Kate Nutzhorn, and Lydia Neubert held on in the second wave of runners to secure 10th, 12th, and 14th.

Brungard was the only runner to set a PR on the day, but the squad posted their season-best time of 2:01:44 just when they needed it most.

The men's 8K was all about the Sabercats.

"Flying Fopma" took the lead early and never looked back. Even without Crown College and Jeremiah Van Acker (the current favorite runner in the NCCAA DII) to offer competition. As the race grew longer, so too did Fopma's lead, as the three-time national champion once again proved his quality. The time of 27:53 wasn't his fastest time of the season but it was good enough to conquer the North Region field by almost two and a half minutes.

Andrew Centifanto almost grabbed an all-region placement with an 8th-place finish, as he, Shem Abdnour, and Jonathan Gilliam rounded out the top-10 placements to secure the win. David Dorothy was the Sabercats fifth runner, coming in at 14th to put the finishing touches on a 10-point victory over Oak Hills Christian College.

BACK TO BACK CHAMPS ❄️ ��

With 42 points and a team time of 2:37:11, Men's Cross Country has defended their @DII_North_Reg crown! pic.twitter.com/aEw5zkY8IB
— Maranatha Athletics (@MBUSabercats) October 22, 2022