BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Northwest Nazarene cross country took on the GNAC Championships on Saturday, highlighted by a second-place men's team finish that is NNU's best since 2001.
 
The Nighthawks' top five men finished 10^th, 13^th, 14^th, 17^th, and 19^th among the 80-runner field for 73 total points, clearing third-place Alaska Anchorage by a margin of 13 points. Western Washington took the team title with a low score of 32 points.
 
This is just the second time that NNU's men have ever finished in the top three of a GNAC Championships race since joining the conference in 2001, which was the year that NNU won their only team title.
 
Brody Kemble led the way with the 10^th-place finish, earning All-GNAC honors for the second year in a row with his time of 24:47.3.
 
Grady Mylander was 13^th with a time of 25:02.2, Ian Stockett 14^th in 25:03.9, Asher Ingram 17^th in 25:13.2, and Carter Stedman rounded out the counting five with a mark of 25:16.6 for 19^th place.
 
NNU's women placed eighth as a team, led by Morgan Erler's 18^th-place effort with a time of 22:29.2.
 
Keelin Stewart was next in 44^th, followed by Mckenna Lechner 47^th, Rebecca Darwood 49^th, and Paige Trautman 50^th to round out the scoring five.
 
With a successful GNAC Championships under their belt, the Nighthawks will now look towards NCAA Regionals. The meet will be hosted by Montana State Billings at Amend Park on Nov. 9, with start time for the first race scheduled for 10:00 a.m.