Huskers Win Small Town Showdown

AUBURN, Neb. – After a pair of weather delays forced both the Nebraska and Nebraska Wesleyan cross country teams to pull out of the Rim Rock Classic, originally scheduled for Saturday morning in Lawrence, Kan., the teams joined forces and ran time trails against each other at Auburn High School in Nebraska before returning to Lincoln. The time trials were timed and scored, so it will count as a dual meet for both schools.

Both the Nebraska men and women claimed the team crowns. The Husker men finished with 19 points in the four-mile race to win the meet, while the Prairie Wolves finished with 44 points. On the women's side, the Big Red women won the three-mile course with a total of 17 points, and Nebraska Wesleyan finished as the runner-up with 45. Jordan De Spong captured the men's title with a time of 19:50.0 and Judi Jones took the women's crown in a time of 16:34.0.

De Spong won the men's race and seven Huskers finished in the top 10. Ryan Kennedy led a pack of Huskers behind De Spong and took third in a time of 20:02.0. Myles Fleming placed fourth (20:11.0), trailed by Ryan Eastman finishing fifth (20:21.0), Sadio Fenner coming in sixth (20:25.0) and Jerry Jorgenson finishing seventh (20:26.0). Alexander Tollinger was the last Husker to finish in the top 10 and was eighth in a time of 20:29.0.

Jones was victorious in the women's race and Nebraska claimed the top-three spots. Elsa Forsberg was the runner-up in a time of 16:55.0, followed by Gabrielle Boucher finishing third with a time of 17:31.0. Grace Pagone (17:45.0), Emma Bresser (17:46.0) and Kaitlynn Johnson (17:51.0), placed fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively. Allie Binder, an Auburn High School alum, rounded out the top 10 for the Huskers
and was ninth with a time of 18:02.0.

Nebraska will resume cross country action on Saturday, Oct. 19 with the Under Armour Pre-Nationals in Terre Haute, Ind. The meet is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. (CT).