From staff reports

sports@joplinglobe.com

WARRENSBURG, Mo. — A strong move in the final mile sewed up Missouri Southern’s third straight MIAA women’s cross country championship on Saturday.

The Southern men finished third in competition at the Keth Memorial Golf Course, ending a string of three straight MIAA titles.

The Missouri Southern women scored 42 points to 72 for runner-up Pittsburg State. The Lions placed their top six runners in front of Pittsburg State’s third runner.

“We really ran the final mile very well, very strong,” said Patty Vavra, Southern women’s coach. “That’s where we won the race. We ran by several people in the last mile. And that says a lot about their training and how hard they work.”

Junior Kimi Shank dominated individual competition, winning the six-kilometer race in 21 minutes, 54.14 seconds. Runner-up Danna Kelly, from Truman State, was 44 seconds behind Shank and was the only other MIAA runner to finish within a minute of the winner.

“A little over halfway into the race, she just ran away from the field,” Vavra said.

Senior Kara Eckard, who placed seventh, and junior Courtney Waltbillig (eighth) joined Shank in earning all-MIAA honors. The next three Lion runners — sophomore Silvia Pineda (11th), sophomore Victoria Kline (16th) and senior Kari Fritchie — received honorable mention all-MIAA.

Senior Ashley Bunch, an all-MIAA runner last season, missed the race with an injury.

Pittsburg State junior M.J. Hassaballa sprinted away from Southern’s Brennan Benkert to win the eight-kilometer men’s race in 25:28.09. Benkert was eight seconds back.

“We’ve had a good run,” said Tom Rutledge, Southern men’s coach. “We made it competitive, but without (injured senior Dustin) Dixon and (Isaac) Garcia, it made a big difference in our team. We had to call on some young kids. I’m proud of the way they responded, but I guess I was asking too much of them.”

Redshirt freshmen Jarkko Jarvenpaa and Aki Nummela were 12th and 13th, respectively. Freshman Chris Bell was 20th and Deric Kimrey, another freshman, was 40th.

Bell, Kimrey and freshman Derek Mendell all ran personal-best times.

“It means everything is working,” Rutledge said of the Lions’ training. “I think our young guys learned a lot today. We just didn’t have enough time this year to get them where they need to be.