Men's Cross Country Finishes 5th At National Tournament

The MAC men's cross-country team capped off a strong 2025 season with a fifth-place team finish at the NJCAA Division III National Championship held Saturday, November 8, at Lakeside Municipal Golf Course in Fort Dodge, Iowa.

Competing against 13 of the top programs from around the country, the Cardinals posted a team total time of 2:26:31 and an average of 29:18 per runner, good for 120 points in the standings. Mineral Area narrowly trailed Thaddeus Stevens College (118 points) for fourth place, while Harper College captured the national title with 55 points.

Strong Pack Running Leads the Way

The Cardinals' success came from tight pack running and balance across the lineup, with all five scoring runners finishing within just 55 seconds of each other.

Freshman Sam Vaughn led Mineral Area across the line, finishing 20th overall with a time of 28:58.7 on the 8,000-meter course. He was followed closely by:

• Lucas Campbell – 21st place, 29:08.4
• Garrett Shortt – 22nd place, 29:11.3
• Jaxson Grimes – 25th place, 29:20.5
• Blake Dorris – 35th place, 29:53.0

Freshman Lucas Naucke (36th, 29:54.3) and sophomore Brandt Rachel (51st, 31:07.7) rounded out the team's performance.

Final Team Standings – NJCAA Men's Division III (8K)

1. Harper College – 55 pts
2. College of DuPage – 68 pts
3. Joliet Junior College – 87 pts
4. Thaddeus Stevens College – 118 pts
5. Mineral Area College – 120 pts
6. Kellogg Community College – 200 pts
7. Lorain County CC – 206 pts
8. Jefferson College – 218 pts