FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Milwaukee cross country team competed at the Horizon League Championships hosted by Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday.

"The goal for us is, and will always be, vying for Horizon League Championships," head coach Andrew Basler stated. "From that standpoint, the team results today were not what we strive for. However, I'd say most of the time the team placing doesn't tell the full story."

As a unit, the Panthers finished 10th with 236 points.

"I feel we had a group of our guys who embraced the challenge of a fast course at a championship meet," Basler continued. "We also had a group of men who did not put themselves in the best position in the first 1-2K. In a championship meet with a small field, guys are not going to come back to you, so you must position yourself strongly from the start."

Will Whiteis was the top finisher for the Black & Gold, setting a personal best with an 8K time of 24:52.9. Whiteis finished 33rd out of 108 runners.

The next Panther to cross the finish line was Cullen Boyle, who claimed a 41st-place finish at the Mastodon Cross Country Course. Boyle completed the 8K race in 25:03.7.

Sam Schreiber was not far behind, grabbing a 48th-place finish and clocking a time of 25:16.9.

Freshman Alex Anewenter performed well in his first Horizon League Championship appearance, setting a new season best in the 8K race and claiming a 56th-place finish (25:25.8).

"Anewenter ran a great race and kept getting stronger throughout. Whiteis made the decision at 2K that he was going to embrace some suffering, and it paid off with an awesome performance. Boyle, after battling illness the past three weeks, ran a gutsy effort to finish just off his lifetime best. Schreiber put himself up in the front pack from the start, but just had some gaps open throughout the race. He still finished his last conference cross country race with a strong effort," Basler said.

Other Panthers that competed in Fort Wayne, Ind., include Zach Moss, Aidan Sosnowski, Nathan Powley, Harper Fahey, Talon Gamez, and Sam Blascyk.

"I told the team last night that in racing, and in life, you have two options. You can suffer through the pain, the work, and the hard stuff now. Or you can suffer later through the regret of not stepping into the hard stuff when you had the chance. I'd say the majority of those who toed the line today chose the step into the hard," Basler concluded.
 
UP NEXT
Milwaukee looks ahead to the NCAA Great Lakes Regional hosted by Evansville on Friday, Nov. 14. The event will be held in Evansville, Ind., at Angel Mounds Cross Country Course.