Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Results

NASHVILLE – The men's cross country team finished in ninth place at the 2013 Commodore Classic 8K hosted by Vanderbilt University on Saturday. The Norse finished in the top half of the 19 participating schools for the third time this season.
 
J.J. Webber was at it again for the Norse as he claimed his second overall event victory of the season. Webber, who won the Queen City 5K and set the school 5K record last week, took the top spot in Nashville running a 24:58.38. That was the fourth fastest 8K time in NKU men's cross country history, behind Drew Harris (24:34.71), John Lott (24:36.00) and another Webber performance (24:56.69) from last season.
 
Sophomore Brady Holmer was the next highest Norse finisher in 40th-place. His time of 25:56.41 was just seconds ahead of the next NKU finisher of Zac Holtkamp at 26:02.52 in 45th-place.
 
Head coach Steve Kruse discussed earlier this week the importance of having a top finisher followed up a group of 4-5 runners to finish in a pack. This was the recipe the coach believed would lead to overall team success and it did just that for the Norse at Vanderbilt.
 
After Holtkamp, the Norse had three other runners finish in quick secession with Isaak Haas (54th-place, 26:11.10), Andy Wolfer (57th-place, 26:14.01), and Brad Fortuna (61st-place, 26:19.66). 
 
The other Norse finishers included Matt Kuhn (26:36.65), Caleb Augustus (26:48.04), and Tyler Mowrey (27:25.06).
 
The Norse took 9th-place overall out of 19 Division I competing institutions. They were able to edge the likes of Ole Miss, Marshall, Western Kentucky, and hosts Vanderbilt. Atlantic Sun rivals Lipscomb would end up taking the top spot in the event and other A-Sun rivals East Tennessee State took third.
 
The Norse will have a weekend off before they head to Greensboro, N.C., to compete in the 30th Annual Greensboro Cross Country Invitational 8K on Sept. 28. For updates on cross country and all other NKU athletic teams, follow @NKUNorse on Twitter.