CMC X-country team opens season in Wyoming

Two Eagles runners earn Athlete of the Week accolades

By Mike McKibbin

Sept. 11, 2023 – CHEYENNE, WYOMING – Colorado Mountain College's Leadville-based cross-country running team kicked off their 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2, at the University of Wyoming Invite in Cheyenne.

With temperatures in the high 60s and low 70s, the Eagles men's and women's teams competed in a 5-kilometer (3.11 mile) race on the rolling grass of the Little America Golf Course. The men finished eighth and the women did not place.

The meet mainly featured larger NCAA Division teams, but the Eagles faced regional foe Central Wyoming College. Brungardt said the men's team "handedly beat" the Rustlers for the first time in two years.

Head coach Darren Brungardt noted, "It wasn't the fastest race, but the team performed strongly."

Highlighting the race was the announcement that CMC runners Brooklyn German of Belding, Michigan and Miles Fischer of Cloquet, Minnesota were named NJCAA Region IX Athletes of the Week. German was the top CMC women's finisher at 23:34.4. That was her personal best time by nearly two minutes and seventh in CMC history. Fischer was the Eagle's top men's finisher at 44th with a time of 16:44.1. He broke the CMC school record by 20 seconds, held by Jason Macaluso.

“I am so excited for them,” said Brungardt. “They have been working so hard. This is the first time in the college’s history that we have had a cross-country Athlete of the Week for the region and we had two of them!”

Other runners to note:
• Daniel Velasco of Gypsum finished 71st at 18:23.8 and 4th in CMC history;
• Harrison Walter of Westcliffe finished 76th at 18:56.1;
• Nate Encinas from Rocky Ford finished 77th at 19:00.1 and 8th in CMC history;
• Lee Shackleford from Olathe finished 80th at 19:39.5 and 9th in CMC history;
• Adaline Fulmer of Wamego, Kan., finished 66th at 24:49.3 and 9th in CMC history; and
• Mikah Gay from Estes Park finished 67th at 25:10.3, just short of 10th in CMC history by 10 seconds.

Brungardt said he was pleased with the first meet and looked forward to seeing the teams compete in the Roadrunner Invitational, hosted by Metro State University in Denver, on Sept. 16.

"Both (men’s and women’s) teams will need to continue to work together to improve throughout the season," Brungardt said. "There is a lot of work to still be done, and I know our men and women have it in them to step up their training for the next two months."

CMC Eagles Cross-Country 2023 Season Schedule:

Saturday, Sept. 2, University of Wyoming Open, Cheyenne, Wyo.
Saturday, Sept. 16, Roadrunner Invitational, Metro State University, Denver
Friday, Oct. 6, University of Colorado Colorado Springs Open
Saturday, Oct. 28, NJCAA Region IX Division 1, Lincoln, Neb.
Saturday, Nov. 11, NJCAA Division 1 National Championship, Huntsville, Ala.