GRINNELL – Wal Khat won the Grinnell’s Les Duke Invitational and helped lead the NIACC men’s cross country team to a fifth-place team finish Satiurday at the Grinnell Country Club.
Khat covered the 8-kilometer course in 26 minutes, 55 seconds for his second win of the season in the 234-athlete field. Also this season, Khat has won the NJCAA Region XI time trial and placed second in the college division at the Augustana Twilight Invitational.
Central College’s Isaac Steffensmeier was second in 26:58.
NIACC was fifth in the 17-team field with 143 team points. Wartburg College was the team champion with 53 points. Augustana College was second with 78 points, No. 25 (NCAA Division III) Central College was third with 96 points and host Grinnell was fourth with 141 points.
Central College is ranked third in the NCAA Division III central region, Wartburg is sixth in the central region. Augustana is ranked ninth in the midwest region.
Other counting scores for NIACC, Zach Freund placed 32nd in 28:55, Blake Keller was 40th in 29:22, Jose Aguilera was 45th in 29:33 and Colby Kraninger was 48th in 29:37.
Also for the Trojans, John Kraft was 54th in 29:49, Canyon Kuhlmann was 92nd in 30:50, Nick Frenz was 115th in 31:36, David Carter was 116th in 31:37, Aaron Hardcastle was 171st in 32:55 and Abdiaziz Wako was 185h in 33:42.
NIACC returns to action Sept. 24 at the University of Minnesota Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, Minn.
Nice job!