Nov. 4| Long season comes to close

Sophomore Donnie Gardner placed 14th to lead Baker University at the NAIA Region V cross country meet Saturday at the Baldwin City Golf Course.

Gardner finished the 8-kilometer course in 27:00.68 to help the Wildcats place ninth. He qualified for the NAIA national championship Nov. 18 in Louisville, Ken.

Lindenwood claimed the team title with 55 points to nip runner-up MidAmerica Nazarene by one point.

MidAmerica Nazarene sophomore Noah Too cruised to the individual title, winning in 24:23.45, which was 78 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Ivaylo Ignatov, of Lindenwood.

Other Baker results were Scott Chaney (35th, 28:43.58), Alex Dingman (60th, 29:38.29), Zac Towns (69th, 30:18.88), Kyle Paul (73rd, 30:31.74), Andrew McGregor (75th, 30:34.30), Jeremiah Harp (87th, 31:48.26) and Kyle Lauridsen (99th, 38:10.83).

In the women’s 5-kilometer race, Asher Kyger and Valentine Chebogut placed 1-2 to lead MidAmerica Nazarene to the team title. Kyger’s winning time was 18:36.58.

Sophomore Amber Keith was Baker’s top performer, placing 39th in 22:04.92. Other Baker results were  Katie James (52nd, 23:00.04), Shawnee Barron (59th, 23:27.15), Ariel Penner (63rd, 23:32.96),  Jessica Uhler (69th, 23:53.26) and Katey Wegemer (71st, 24:14.98).

The Lindenwood men and MidAmerica Nazarene women automatically qualify for the national championship.

Full results

Oct. 21| Keith leads, team struggles

Donnie Gardner placed 11th to lead Baker University’s runners Friday at the Heart of America Athletic Conference men’s cross country meet.

Gardner finished the 8-kilometer race in 28 minutes and 21.92 seconds to pace the Wildcats, who finished seventh with 171 points. MidAmerica Nazarene, which had four runners finish in the top 10, won the HAAC title with 34 points.

Other Baker results were Alex Dingman (29th, 29:53.68), Zac Towns (39th, 30:38.48), Scott Chaney (47th, 31:06.23), Andrew McGregor (48th, 32:02.12), Kyle Paul (57th, 32:21.83) and Jeremiah Harp (69th, 33:54.20).

In the women’s 5-kilometer race, Baker’s Amber Keith finished 24th in 22:04.97 to lead the Wildcats. Other Baker results were Shawnee Barron (48th, 24:35.47), Jessica Uhler (49th, 24:37.0), Ariel Penner (53rd, 24:54.84) and Katie James (54th, 24:58.43).

MidAmerica Nazarene won the women’s title with 37 points.

Next for the Baker cross country teams is the NAIA Region V meet Nov. 4 at Baldwin City Municipal Golf Course.

Full results

Sept. 18 | Individuals turn in another strong race

Amber Keith and Shawnee Barron represented Baker's women's cross country team in the 6-kilometer race at the Woody Greeno/Nebraska Invitational in
Lincoln, Neb. Keith finished in 26:49.15 and Barron in 29:27.05.

Next for the Baker runners is the ESU Jock's Nitch Invitational Sept. 29 in Emporia.

Sept. 9 | 'Cats led by same faces

Sophomore Amber Keith, from Shawnee, Kan., was again the fastest runner for the Wildcats at the Friends Cross Country Invitational. Keith ran a 21:06 in the first 5k race of the year for the women. Keith finished 13th overall.

Shawnee Barron, was again second, placeing 42nd overall with a time of 22:53.

The team has yet to compete in a race as a team.

Women's Friends Cross Country Invitational results

Sophomore Amber Keith, from Shawnee, Kan., turned in a 3200 meter time of 13:10.84 to place for the Wildcats. Keith placed 28th overall and was one of three runners to participate for Baker, who hosted the event at the Baldwin City Golf Course.

Runner Shawnee Barron, sophomore from Alma, Kan., ran the course in 14:33.63, finishing 52nd. Jessica Uhler, the last member to join the team this year, placed 59th with her time of 14:51.92.

88 runners competed from several different area schools. Asher Kyger, from MidAmerica Nazarene University, placed first (11:37.95) helping secure her team's first place victory.

Baker runners compete next Friday at the Friends Invitational.

Women's Maple Leaf Invitational Results

Expect the 2006 Baker University cross country team to be led by the same group of young runners from last season.

Both teams return their two top runners, which should help the Wildcats in their quest to returning to the top of the conference.

The women’s team returns their top runner, Amber Keith. She placed 26th at the Heart of America Athletic Conference meet with a 21:29 time.

Sophomore Zac Towns is expected to lead the men’s team. The Baldwin City sophomore battled through a leg injury last fall.

“The best returning runner will be Zac,” head cross country coach Rob Mallinder said. “Last year he was plagued by injury all season.”

Sophomore Alex Dingman led the Wildcats most of last season. He was Baker’s top runner in five of seven races and ran the ninth fastest 10k in the school’s history.

“I was surprised with his freshman consistency,” Mallinder said. “He ran a lot faster than most freshmen run out of high school.”

The men’s team also returns top runner Andrew McGregor. McGregor, a junior from Overland Park, led the Wildcats twice last season, including his 34th place finish in the HAAC championship.

Newcomer  Donny Gardner and Scott Cheney will round of the team of five for the men.

“They have the potential to be one of the best teams at Baker,” Mallinder said. “We don’t have any superstars, but we have HAAC quality athletes. We should be around mid-conference.”

The women are still looking for a fifth runner to field a team.

Mallinder believes Keith and Katie James should pace the Wildcats.

“I feel they are going to run low 20s and both will have very good season,” Mallinder said.