Crimson Pride cross country teams shine at conference championship

by Brooke Hall

At the River States Conference Championship on Nov. 4, the Crimson Pride men’s and women’s cross country teams made history and finished their seasons on a high note, earning multiple awards and setting personal bests.

This was the first year IU Columbus cross country was able to participate as a full-fledged member of the conference while having enough runners to round out their rosters. Head Coach Tim Hoeflinger noted they’ve had some ups and downs, with injuries and late-joining athletes seamlessly reinforcing their ranks. Hoeflinger emphasized that he’s especially impressed with how everyone has improved their personal records at nearly every meet—despite fatigue, stress, and some tough conditions, including a challenging, hilly course for the championship meet.

Notably, Brett Kleber crushed the championship race, not only setting a personal record but earning second team all-conference recognition with a time of 24 minutes and 28 seconds for a 6K. In fact, she missed first team all-conference by a mere 3 seconds and landed just 15 seconds shy of qualifying for the national meet in Vancouver, Washington, on Nov. 17.

“Brett ran with determination and grit,” Hoeflinger said, pointing out that she’s had a fantastic year and put in a ton of work during the off-season—and it shows. “She has a lot of confidence, she’s motivated, and she clearly has the respect of her teammates.”

Speaking of teammates, also during the championship meet Audra McNear and Conner Beatty received River States Conference Champions of Character awards. In addition, the Crimson Pride women’s team placed 9^th and the men’s team finished 11^th.

“To say I was proud of our efforts would be a huge understatement,” Hoeflinger said, adding that he’s already begun dreaming about next season and what they can accomplish.