SHELBYVILLE, Ind. – "I didn't win, but I learned how to race." – Ezra Kipruto
 
The Goshen men's cross country team was guided by Liam Elias and Drew Hogan on their way to a sixth-place finish at the Crossroads League Championships on Friday in Shelbyville. This was the first race the team had competed in after learning about the passing of teammate Ezra Kipruto. Goshen had five in the top 50 of the race hosted by Marian University.
 
Elias and Hogan were just two seconds apart from each other at the end, finishing in 18^th and 19^th, respectively. Elias completed the 8k race in 26:19.3 and Hogan in 26:21.3. Elias had a pace of 5:17.8 per mile.
 
Another pair of Maple Leafs came through less than thirty seconds later. Jackson Steinmetz placed 28^th and had a 26:47.3 time. Anthony Roberts was 29^th and posted a 26:50.1 time. Jordan Garlinger came in 50^th place and came in at 27:39.8.
 
"The men worked their way up through the groups and finished well," head coach Rustin Nyce said after the race. "The heat beat us up a little, but Liam and Drew especially had strong races." Tanner Pinks had a season-best time as the sixth runner on the team. He finished in 63^rd place and had a 28:25.8 time. His previous best mark was 28:46.5 at the Live in Lou Classic.
 
#4 Indiana Wesleyan won the championship with a score of 40, led by first-place finisher Eli Fullerton. #12 Huntington was not far behind in second (54) and had the 2^nd through 4^th runners overall. #16 Taylor was third (88), #13 Grace came in fourth (104), and #20 Spring Arbor placed fifth (105). Goshen is currently ranked #24 in the coaches' poll and totaled a score of 137. With the win, Indiana Wesleyan secured an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships held in Tallahassee, Florida, on November 18.
 
The final rating will be on Monday, November 7. The national championship field is composed of 36 teams.
 
Goshen Results:

Position	Name	Time	Score
18th	Liam Elias	26:19.3	18
19th	Drew Hogan	26:21.3	19
28th	Jackson Steinmetz	26:47.3	28
29th	Anthony Roberts	26:50.1	29
50th	Jordan Garlinger	27:39.8	43
63rd	Tanner Pinks	28:25.8
92nd	Kevin Liddell	29:26.7
120th	Aaron Yeakey	31:56.9