With the fall semester coming to an end, so has another season of Concordia University Chicago cross country, meaning it is a perfect time to look back and reflect on what CUC runners accomplished this season.
Season Recap
The 2022 season kicked off on Sept. 2 with the Elmhurst Early Bird Invitational. Callie Hoover (Fort Wayne, Ind.) was the big winner of the day, placing fifth overall on the woman's side of things. A few Cougars also set personal records, with Diana Almazan (Berwyn, Ill.) setting a new 4k best and Mauricio Xochitecatl (Carol Stream, Ill.) beating his previous 6k PR.
Hoover finished top five once again in the Warrior Invitational on Oct. 1. The men's team had a top-10 finish too, as Ernest Bogart (Pflugerville, Tx.) placed seventh with his 8k time of 28:00.7. Xochitecatl was not far behind Bogart, finishing 15th overall.
Another top-five finish was added to the season resume on Oct. 15, when Hoover's time of 24:19.6 earned her fifth at the Wisconsin Private College Championships. At the NACC Championships on Oct. 29, Hoover placed just outside the top-10 at 11th with her 24:54.4 run.
The season finale came on Nov. 12 at the NCAA DIII Midwest Region Cross Country Championships. Sophomore Ariel Martinez (Berwyn, Ill.) finished first amongst the Concordia women's team with her 28:34.0 run. On the men's team, Xochitecatl set the pace with his finish of 28:58.8.
When asked for his thoughts on the season, first year head coach Malachi Allgood said, "The season was a great starting point for my time at CUC — it gave me the opportunity to learn a new group of athletes and develop the kind of rapport that will lead to results on the course. I'm glad I have a full season under my belt and I'm excited for the seasons to come."
New Faces
Plenty of new runners were found on the courses for Concordia this year.
All three freshmen were found on the men's team. Hendrix Braden (Fort Wayne, Ind.) finished one race, running the Ken Weidt Classic in 34:39.4. Meanwhile, Jazael Rodriguez (Berwyn, Ill.) raced in the final four events of the season after missing the first three. Rodriguez saved his best for last, running a personal record of 36:09.5 in the NCAA DIII Midwest Regionals. William Leonard (Oskaloosa, Iowa) appeared in all seven races for CUC, with his best time (31:37.3) also coming in the Midwest Regionals.
Joining this trio of freshmen were multiple returning students participating in cross country for the first time.
Sophomore Ari Koepp (Belle Plaine, Minn.) joined the squad after only running track & field last year. Her best 6k time would come in the NACC Championships when she finished her run in 33:21.2. McKenna Stanley (Hampshire, Ill.) joined Koepp as a sophomore running cross country for the first time. Stanley's best effort came at the Wisconsin Private College Championships on Oct. 15 with her 30:46.6 6k.
On the men's team, Adrian Mendez (Plano, Ill.) made the transition from track & field to cross country for the first time, racing in the Weidt Classic. Joining Mendez in running his first cross country race this year was junior Gustav Strenge (Battle Creek, Mi.). Strenge raced in five events this year, with his best time (33:50.6) coming at the Weidt Classic.
Saying Goodbye
Concordia cross country graduates just one senior this year; Ernest Bogart will be moving on after four years of competing for the maroon and gold in both cross country and track & field. Bogart had six top-20 finishes during his XC career, including three top-10 placements.
His highest placement in the 8k event came on Oct. 2, 2021, when he placed 3rd at the Warrior Invitational. Meanwhile, Bogart's career best 8k time came just a few weeks prior, when he ran a 26:52.5 race at the Gil Dodds Invitational on Sep. 18, 2021.
While CUC cross country might have run their last race for the year, updates on the team can still be found on our website,
cucougars.com, as well as the team's Twitter,
@CUChicagoTFXC. The team would also like to thank everyone who supported the squad throughout the season, and looks forward to seeing everyone again next fall.
