Coming off a three-peat MIAA championship the men’s cross country team looks forward to a four-peat.

First the Lions had to contend with tough competition from their first meet of the season. The team traveled to the University of Arkansas where it placed third, behind UA and the University of Tulsa. Missouri Southern was the only Division II School to run at the meet. Tom Rutledge, head men’s cross country coach, said the Lions did not run a full team.

“We did not run Thomas Quaid, who just got back on campus from Ireland,” Rutledge said. “He just finished track season over there.”

Rutledge said the team did not run as strong as it could.

The Lions came off winning MIAA championships, placing second in the Division II South Central Regionals and placing seventh in the nation.

Magnus Holmstrom was named MIAA Athlete of the Week, finished fifth in the meet with a time of 20:31.61, giving his team five points toward its total of 63. Arkansas received 21 total points and UT received 49 points.

The next Southern runner across the finish line was Craig Rhoads, with a time of 21:10.83, followed closely by Paul Koehler, 21:29.45. Rutledge said they had runners in “the hunt, in the top 15 to 20 places.” After those runners, the rest fell behind and didn’t step up.

The next meet for the Lions is Sept. 20 at home.

“The Southern Stampede is the largest cross country meet in the Midwest,” Rutledge said. “It will be a war.”

There are 24 high schools signed up for the meet. These high schools have both men’s and women’s teams competing.

Southern also has 25 colleges signed up for the meet.