Strong Debut for Men's Cross Country at Nicole Leman Invitational

September 2, 2023

LONGVIEW, Texas - The University of Dallas men's cross country team kicked off their season with a strong showing at the Nicole Leman Invite, hosted by LeTourneau University.

In a strong field of NCAA Division III and NAIA programs, the Crusaders took fourth place in the field of five teams with a score of 109 and an average time of 18:18 in the three mile race.

Nico Walz led the charge for Dallas, finishing in 20th place with a time of 17:29.5.  Thomas Skendzel and Bruce Reed weren't far behind as the trio all came in under 18 minutes, Skendzel in 17:35.8 and Reed in 17:57.7.  

Rounding out the field for Dallas was Paul Simko (19:02.6), James Latour (19:22.3), and Alexsandr Kulda (24.18.2).  

"We love this meet, it's a nice flat course and a great way to shake the cobwebs off at the start of the season," said head coach Nick Schneigert.  "It was great to see the new recruits push our veterans, and I think we answered a lot of questions about our team today."

Up next, the Crusaders will host their home meet, the University of Dallas Cross Country Invitational.  The meet is set to be held on Saturday, Sept. 9.