ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — The Loras College men's and women's cross country teams competed at the nationally competitive Augustana Interregional, facing some of the strongest fields in the country. The men's race featured 14 nationally ranked teams among 36 programs, while the women's race included 12 nationally ranked teams in a 40-team field.

Men's Gold 8000M

Out of 339 runners, Isaac Bourne led the Duhawks with a 22nd-place finish in 24:51.8.

"I was glad to see Isaac near the front for over half the race before having a side stitch that he had to battle through," said head coach Ethan Adlfinger. "He's leaving the race wanting more but learned some lessons that will help in the future."

Eric Rutherford finished 30th in 24:58.5, followed by Jack Beehler (89th, 25:49), Ryan McGrath (98th, 25:52.6), and Aiden Ruiz (195th, 26:36.5), Brayden Frey (216th, 26:51.8), Colby Cryer (231st, 27:02.3), to round out the top seven. Evan Schlichting (237th, 27:04.6), and Logan Hoger (259th, 27:17.3) completed the lineup. The Duhawks finished 14th overall out of 36 teams.

"Our 2-4 moved up the entire way and ran great races, especially Rutherford. It's a tough part of the season where we haven't quite started to ease up on training, so when they get the chance to feel a bit better on race day, I'm sure we'll see some bigger improvements."

Despite unseasonably warm conditions and a highly competitive field, Adlfinger was pleased with the Duhawks' performance.

"The men competed well, earning key wins against teams from the North and Great Lakes regions. We've done well out of region in the regular season and have put ourselves in position for an at-large bid opportunity for the national meet."

Women's Gold 6000M

Out of 349 runners, Keelee Leitzen led the Duhawks with a 25th-place finish in 22:26.3, followed by Bailey Vaughan in 57th (22:59.5). Paige Jacobs (121st, 23:37.8), Ivy Glendening (162nd, 24:06.4), and Lily Molloy (174th, 24:10.0), Savannah Davis (219th, 24:38.6), Hunter Jones (292nd, 25:34.7) to round out the top seven. Lylli Jorgenson (307th, 25:51.3) completed the lineup as Loras finished 15th overall out of 40 teams.

Adlfinger praised the team's performance, noting that they exceeded expectations.

"Our women outperformed where they were ranked going into the meet and only lost to teams that are nationally ranked or were previously nationally ranked."

Leitzen ran a strong race at the front and is still gaining experience at the 6K distance. Vaughan also had a standout day, posting a season-best performance, and with cooler conditions, her time could better reflect how well her season has gone.

The team's 3-5 runners ran well together, with Davis emerging as a consistent presence in the top seven. Looking ahead, Adlfinger is optimistic about postseason opportunities.

 "I'm looking forward to the postseason and finishing on a high note with this group. They were an unranked, no-name group that has emerged as one of the top A-R-C and Midwest women's programs."

Up next: The Duhawks host the A-R-C Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1 at the Dubuque Soccer Complex. The men are set to run at 11 a.m. followed by the women at noon.