EMPORIA — After taking a week off, the Cloud County Community College cross country teams resumed the 2018 season on a muggy Saturday morning at the Emporia State University Invitational.
The Cloud County men’s team picked up right where it left off, finishing second overall in the team standings with a score of 60— just eight points back of Hutchinson Community College at 52— in a 13-team field that included NJCAA, NAIA and NCAA Division II opponents.
“It was a tough race (Saturday) on a wet and muddy course,” said Cloud County head coach, Drew Mahin. “We had a great battle with Hutchinson but we have a lot to work for the KJCCC/Region VI and NJCAA meets.”
Cloud County freshman Saba Khvichava had a breakout performance Saturday as he produced the top time for the T-Birds while claiming second place overall with a time of 26:13.5.
Khvichava was followed closely by his fellow freshman standouts Kenyi Santino and Dennis Kiptoo.
Santino crossed the finish line in third place with a time of 26:16.6, while Kiptoo claimed fourth place with a mark of 26:29.5.
Freshmen Kwanele Mthembu and Thom Reynders produced the two other scoring times for the T-Birds on Saturday as Mthembu earned a 17th place finish (27:39.3) and Reynders came in 38th overall (28:23.2).
Ablel Gebreselase (47th overall, 28:39.9) and sophomore Burke Deters (56th overall, 29:12.6) rounded out Cloud County’s top men finishers.
In the women’s race, sophomore Janne Hamisi led the charge for the T-Birds with a 68th overall finish in a personal record time of 22:12.5.
Fellow sophomores Rebekah Thomas and Sadie Jones followed in 89th place (23:10.0) and 95th place (24:15.1), respectively. Freshman Reagan Emerson finished in 101st place with a time of 24:54.5.
Up next for Cloud County will be the Fort Hays State Tiger Open on Saturday, which will serve as the final tune-up before the T-Birds compete in the KJCCC/Region VI Championships on October 27 in Winfield.
Fort Hays State Tiger Open is scheduled to get underway at 8 a.m. Saturday.