Keeping with what seems tradition, Missouri Southern clinched its sixth MIAA cross country title in the last seven years on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Bolivar.

“Everyone ran a great race,” said head coach Tom Rutledge. “It’s something that proved last year wasn’t a fluke. You don’t have flukes with six titles in seven years. Nothing is a fluke if it lasts that long.”

Sophomore Dustin Dixon, who led the Lions with a third-place finish (24:53.07), said the team went and did what they were supposed to do.

“We didn’t do anything extraordinary,” said junior Kyle Davis, who finished 10th with a time of 25:11.91. “We thought we could put five in the top ten but we got four.”

Rounding out the rest of the All-MIAA Lions were sophomore Bret Musser with an eighth-place finish of 25:09.23 and junior Ryan Arthur, who finished 9th with 25:10.67.

Freshman Brennon Benkert completed the 8k course in 25:34.32 for 17th place.

“It went really well,” Benkert said. “I felt fresh for the first part. After that I got kind of tired.”

Freshmen Isaac Garcia and Ricky Armstrong rounded out the Lions’ top seven. Garcia ran 26:04.69 for 27th while Armstrong took 31st with a time of 26:06.36. Freshman Nick Herberle finished 37th (26:24). Anthony Reed, sophomore, ran 27:04.42 for 53rd.

“It’s the most talented group of freshmen Southern has ever had,” Davis said.

Rutledge said he was very pleased the team had five men run under 26 minutes and had a pack time of 41 seconds.

“I’d say we’re pretty dominant,” said men’s head coach Tom Rutledge. “Our people know when to run and how to run.”

Arthur said this was the first time all season the team ran together in a meet.

“We knew what we were capable of it at workouts we had just never ran together,” Arthur said.

Rutledge said he knew they were good from the start of the season.

“I’d like to know how they can do nine one-mile repeats with a three minute recovery at a sub five minute pace,” Rutledge said. “That’s a heck of a deal. I knew right there they were something special.”

In the past, the teams could only do seven or eight repeats, but not nine.

Rutledge said the team has done everything he’s asked them to do and more, including earning good academic marks.

“That makes a coach very proud,” he said. “I’m honored to coach these young men and feel very confident going to nationals as a team this year to represent Missouri Southern.”

He said the team is fun and hard working.

“They make my day. They’re the reason I get up at five o’clock in the morning,” Rutledge said before chuckling and adding, “Well, that is the reason I get up at five o’clock.”

After their race, the men ran around the course to cheer the women on to a conference victory.

“I’m happy for the women,” Rutledge said. “Theirs was tougher than ours.”

The Lions will test their mettle at the NCAA South Central Regional Saturday at Warrensburg.

“There are no excuses,” Rutledge said. “Someone’s going to have to step it up.”