Men’s XC Wins Lyon College Meet, Lucas Campbell Named NJCAA Runner of the Week

Batesville, AR – September 2025 — The Mineral Area College (MAC) men's cross country team delivered a commanding performance at the Lyon College Invitational, sweeping the top five individual spots and claiming the team title with a perfect score of 15.

In what was a standout effort by the Cardinals, six MAC runners placed in the top seven overall, finishing with a total team time of 1:29:50 and an average time of 17:58 over the 5-mile course.

Top Finishers for Mineral Area College:

1. Lucas Campbell (FR) – 1st place – 17:07.0
   Campbell set the tone early with a blistering average mile pace of 3:25, pulling away from the field and finishing 50 seconds ahead of the next closest runner.  The effort led to Lucas being named NJCAA Runner of the Week.
2. Brandt Rachel (FR) – 2nd place – 17:57.7
   Rachel followed closely behind, leading a tight MAC pack through the middle miles and securing the second podium spot.
3. Jaxson Grimes (FR) – 3rd place – 18:12.7
   Grimes maintained consistent pacing and stayed within striking distance of Rachel, rounding out the top three sweep for the Cardinals.
4. Josh Horrell (FR) – 4th place – 18:14.6
   Another freshman standout, Horrell ran a strong and steady race to finish just two seconds behind Grimes.
5. Lucas Naucke (FR) – 5th place – 18:18.4
   Naucke sealed the perfect team score, making it five MAC runners across the line before any other team's first scorer.
6. Garrett Shortt (SO) – 7th place – 19:11.3
   While not needed for the team score, Shortt's presence in the top 10 highlighted MAC's depth.

Team Standings:

Looking Ahead:

The Cardinals will look to carry this momentum into their next meet at Harding University in Searcy, AR on Friday, September 12.