WAVERLY, Iowa — The Loras College men's cross country team turned in a strong showing Saturday, placing fourth out of 32 teams at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Championships, hosted by Wartburg College at the Max Cross Country Course.

Isaac Bourne led the Duhawks with a standout performance, placing third out of 238 runners to earn All-Region honors. Head coach Ethan Adlfinger praised Bourne's race strategy, noting maturity in his approach. "He made a move late in the race to take the lead and held on for third place against two runners that are the best in the country." 

Eric Rutherford followed as Loras' second finisher, placing 12th in 24:40.2. He surged from 28th at the first split to break into the top 12, overtaking several of the region's top competitors.

Ryan McGrath and Jack Beehler secured All-Region honors as the team's third and fourth finishers. McGrath placed 31st in 25:24.5, followed closely by Beehler in 32nd with a time of 25:26.8. The duo shared pacing duties throughout the race and battled strong winds to earn their first regional accolades.

Logan Hoger stepped up in a key role as Loras' fifth runner, finishing 53rd in 26:18.9. "I am very proud of how he stepped up today. Our 5, 6, and 7 runners are very close together, and my challenge to them is who can step up and close out scoring. Today that was Logan."

First-time regional competitors Aiden Ruiz and Colby Cryer rounded out the Duhawks' top seven. Ruiz placed 62nd in 26:30.2, while Cryer finished 88th in 26:56.6. Adlfinger welcomed the experience for both runners, saying it will benefit them at next week's national meet and beyond.

Adlfinger expressed pride in the team's effort and believes the group is continuing to trend upward with the goal of peaking at nationals.

Loras will now await official selections to learn whether Saturday's performance was enough to earn a berth to the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday, Nov. 22, in Spartanburg, S.C.