Musser advances to national meet for MSSU men

Men's Team Results | Men's Individual Results || Women's Team Results | Women's Individual Results

The Missouri Southern men, while not making the trip as a team to the NCAA Division II Championships set for Nov. 19 in Pomona, Calif., will still have representation. Freshman Bret Musser (St. Joseph, Mo./Central HS), who finished 11th overall at Saturday's regional, can punch his ticket to the national meet.

"We've had a good year," said MSSU men's coach Tom Rutledge. "I can't complain. I've got a lot of freshmen."

Musser finished the 10K course in 33:48.65 for 11th place. He was the top MSSU finisher as the Lions scored 167 points in the meet won by Abilene Christian (Texas). East Central (Okla.) and Central Missouri State finished second and third and qualified, as teams, for the NCAA-II meet.

Freshman Dustin Dixon (St. Clair, Mo.) was 25th overall with a time of 34:51.00. Sophomore Ryan Arthur (Clinton, Mo.) placed 28th and finished in 35:03.50.

Also for the MSSU men, junior Dustin Miller (Carthage, Mo.) was 41st overall in 35:37.30, freshman Derek Wright (Ozark, Mo.) was 63rd in 37:13.20 and sophomore Kyle Davis (Potosi, Mo.) was 64th in 37:14.80.

Rutledge said freshman Patrick Maina (Thika, Kenya) was hospitalized following the race after collapsing near the finish from dehydration. Maina, who was in the Lions' No. 5 position, was released with the team later in the day. It wasn't the only ailment to impact the Lions. Much of both the men's and women's teams are battling illness.

The Southern women finished the meet in eighth place in the 18-team women's field. Central Missouri State and Abilene Christian finished 1-2 and will advance to the national championships.

Sophomore Kelly O'Toole (Joplin, Mo.) was the top Southern finisher as she placed 26th in 24:34.15. Then came four more freshmen for the Lion women. Kara Eckard (Warrensburg, Mo.) was 39th overall in 25:05.05. Alison Walker (West Plains, Mo.) was 47th in 25:20.10, with Krista Merrill (Potosi, Mo.) in 49th (25:21.50) and Kari Fritchie (Lee's Summit, Mo.) in 54th with a time of 25:33.35.