Ezra De Cleene - Photo Credit: Frank Novak

Posted: Sep 14, 2024

Storm men's cross country take third at Les Duke Invite

GRINNELL, Iowa - The freshman wasted no time making an impact in the 8k with James Johnson pacing the Storm with an eighth place finish at the Les Duke Invitational on Saturday.

Johnson earned his second straight eight place finish after placing in the same slot at the Bill Buxton Invitational to open the season. Miles Combs collected another top-10 finish as all Storm runners finished in the top 20. As a team, Simpson placed third overall with 65 points.

"James Johnson had a terrific debut in the 8K," said head coach Heath Moenck. "As he gains more experience in the 8K, he's only going to get better. Miles Combs, Doug Berg, and Brody Wirtz ran significantly better than last year, which is exciting to see as we move forward. Our men's team ran well today, and I'm excited to see how much improvement they will make all year."

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Central - 26 points
2. Grinnell - 54 points
3. Simpson - 65 points
4. Grinnell Alumni - 117 points
5. Principia - 131 points

TOP FINISHERS

8. James Johnson - 27:00.5
10. Miles Combs - 27:09.6
14. Doug Berg - 27:41.6
16. Brody Wirtz - 27:44.6
17. Ezra De Cleene - 27:55.3
18. Jack Cavan - 27:58.3
19. Cole Leggett - 28:07.4