Thurber Qualifies for Nationals as Lions Improve with Personal Bests!
This past weekend Men's and Women's Cross Country were in Bismarck, North Dakota for the Marauder Invitational, hosted by the University of Mary. The Lions were up against a competitive field of runners, but the Lions showed impressive improvement across the board, with every athlete on the team setting new personal records!
Leading the men was Sophomore All-American Theo Thurber, who blazed through the 8k course in a time of 27:59, qualifying him for the NCCAA National Championship. This is 29 second improvement from Theo's personal best of a time of 28:28. Theo's new time is now the second fastest time in school history!
On the women's side, Addy Warneke led the charge, with a strong finish in the 6k, with a time of 29:56, which is just 12 seconds short of qualifying for nationals. Addy's time and effort highlight her steady progression, which suggests a national qualifying time may be within reach in upcoming meets!
Head Coach Karen Thurber stated: "Our Men's and Women's Cross Country teams both had exceptional performances at the Marauder Invitational hosted by the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. 100% of our athletes recorded personal bests (PR'd) on the same day! Theo Thurber qualified for the NCCAA National Championship with a time of 27:59 in the 8K. This was a 29 second improvement from his last season PR. Addy Warneke was the top finisher for our ladies and is coming very close to qualifying with a time of 29:56 in the 6K. She will likely achieve this goal very soon! It was an amazing effort by all of our runners!"
The Lions will look to carry this momentum in upcoming meets, and hopefully see more improvements and qualifying times! The Lions are back on the road this weekend at Dordt University.
