Storm put forth total team effort at Augustana

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - Every runner on the Simpson men's cross country team set a personal best time and the Storm placed 8th of 33 teams at the Brissman Lundeen Invite at Saukie Golf Course on Friday.

Hosted by Augustana, 403 individuals took part in the competition. The host Vikings won the meet with 43 points, followed by Olivet Nazarene (103) and UW-Stevens Point (126). Simpson scored 259 points, ahead of Greenville (298) and behind Principia (255).

The Storm knocked off Iowa Conference foe Cornell (12th, 338 points) and regionally-ranked Grinnell (22nd, 609 points). Earlier this week, the US Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association gave Grinnell a No. 6 ranking in the Central Region.

"We put together a great team race today," first-year head coach Heath Moenck said. "Every guy on the team ran a lifetime best, which is an incredible achievement for our entire squad."

Competing in his first meet of the season, Ryan Edwardson placed 15th in the individual race, navigating the 8-kilometer course in 25:21.7.

"It was a great boost for our team to have Ryan back today," Moenck said. "He was eager to get back in action and we are getting closer and closer to being 100 percent as a team."

Matt Stone placed 44th (26:09.5), John Warnke took 57th (26:20.7), Mitchell Davis came in 82nd (26:43.1) and Jake Sutton finished 108th (27:03.2). Mark Foster (119th, 27:09.4) and Pat Gerhardt (173rd, 27:57.0) rounded out the Storm's top-10 performers.

The Storm are off next week before participating in the Dan Huston Invitational in Waverly, Iowa on Oct. 8.