CARMEL, Ind. – The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) cross country teams competed in week four of the 2024 season.
 
Around the League:
HCAC Cross Country Schedule
 
Athletes of the Week: 
Men’s Athlete of the Week:
Sam Rinker (Noblesville, Ind.) Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | First Year - Sam finished 41st overall (2nd freshman overall) in the Men's Open Race at the John McNichols Invitational hosted by Indiana State University at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in a time of 25:19 setting the Rose-Hulman Men's Cross Country freshman record by 12 seconds. The Men's Open Race (non-NCAA Division I teams) featured 10 NCAA Division III nationally ranked and 14 NCAA Division III top 10 regionally ranked teams.

Women’s Athlete of the Week:
Chesnee Miller (Akron, Ind.) Manchester University | First Year – Chesnee was the top freshman finisher at the Gil Dodds Meet this weekend where she finished 8th overall with a time of 23:02 for the 6k.  This was a 6k PR by over 30 seconds and puts her 14th on Manchester's all time 6k record list.

 
Notable Performances:
Men's

• Grant Beasley (Versailles, Ohio) Bluffton University | Sophomore – Grant ran a new full course PR of 29:06 at the All-Ohio Championships as our #4 runner. He ended up shaving 2:30 off of his time from this meet last year and moved up 150 spots in the field.
• Connor Havens (LaPorte, Ind.) Manchester University | Fifth Year - Connor finished 3rd among Collegiate athletes at the Gil Dodds meet on Saturday running a time of 25:44.

Women’s

• Sara Smith (Mansfield, Ohio) Bluffton University | First Year - Sara placed 46th out of 150th Division III at the All-Ohio Championships. She shaved 26 seconds from her time from 2 weeks ago on a tougher course breaking 26 minutes for the first time.