Posted: Aug 27, 2024

Storm men's cross country ranked ninth in preseason regional rankings

NEW ORLEANS, La. – For the third straight season, the Simpson College men's cross country team was ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), placing ninth in the Midwest Region.

The Storm return two of their top seven finishers from last season's NCAA Midwest Regional, where the Storm took seventh overall as a team. Simpson placed sixth in the 2022 and 2023 preseason rankings, tied for their highest preseason ranking in program history.

Upperclassmen Drew Engler and Louden Foster return to lead the Storm with the two finishing with nearly identical times at the A-R-C Championships. Engler placed 60th overall with a time of 27:14.8 and Foster was 62nd at 27:17.8.

Other notable returners include seniors Miles Combs and Brody Wirtz, along with junior Cole Leggett. Leggett placed 67th overall at the conference championships, with a season-best seventh place finish at the Bill Buxton Invitational. Combs and Wirtz placed 80th and 94th respectively at the conference.

The Storm will begin the 2024 campaign by hosting the Bill Buxton Invitational on Friday, Aug. 30.

2023 IN REVIEW

Seniors Spencer Moon and Ean Warrick qualified for the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, with Moon finishing 94th out of 294 competitors with a time of 25:40.1 and Warrick placed 167th with a time of 26:09.2.
At the NCAA Midwest Regional, Moon and Warrick earned all-region honors, with the Storm taking seventh overall as a team, their best finish since 1995.
Moon, Warrick, and James Murray earned all-conference honors, leading the Storm to a fourth-place finish at the A-R-C Championships.
Earning his fourth all-conference honors at the A-R-C Championships, Moon became only the second runner in program history to achieve the feat, along with Danny Bauer (1991-1994).
The team took first place at the Bill Buxton Invitational with Moon taking home the individual title and seven runners placing in the top 10.

KEY RETURNERS

Miles Combs, senior
Drew Engler, junior
Louden Foster, senior
Cole Leggett, junior
Brody Wirtz, senior

2 024 MEN'S SCHEDULE | 2024 MEN'S ROSTER

USTFCCCCA MEN'S PRESEASON REGIONAL RANKINGS
1. Wartburg
2. North Central (Ill.)
3. Washington (Mo.)
4. Loras
5. Chicago
6. Central
7. Cornell College
8. Augustana (Ill.)
9. Simpson
10. Dubuque