JOPLIN, Mo. - For the first time since 2011, the Malone University men's and women's cross country teams swept the NCCAA National Championship meet. The Pioneers were first in the men's race for the first time in 14 years while the women become back-to-back NCCAA team champions.
 
The Malone men's team scored 33 points, which is half of the total from second-place Mid-America Christian University (66). The women's race was a little tighter. The Pioneers had four inside the top-10 and totaled 36 points compared to second-place University of Northwestern's score of 44.
 
Each of the top five scoring members for the Pioneer men were named NCCAA All-American. Malone was led by senior Hayden Schmidt with an 8k time of 24:49.5, a mark five seconds quicker than his previous best. Schmidt was second overall in the race and earned his second career All-American award. Sophomore Yahya Jawadi was fourth at 25:18.8, which well-exceeded his best mark set at the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) Championship meet earlier this season.
 
Junior Wyatt Royster (8th), freshman Zavier Medina (9th) and junior Xander Heil (10th) led a platoon of Pioneers that rounded out the top five scoring members. Royster completed the race in 25:37.0, while Medina held a time of 25:40.0 and Heil a 25:40.6. The freshman Medina wraps up his first collegiate season with a new career-best. Senior Tyler Twining (25:47.7) and freshman Caden LaRue (26:05.3) also put together top performances in 11th and 13th to help Malone secure the team championship.
 
Senior Kristin Yeager was the team leader for the Malone women at 19:30.7, good for fourth-place overall and third among team scoring runners. Yeager led a group of consecutive Pioneer student-athletes in fourth, fifth and sixth. Seniors Rebekah Stoneman (19:39.1) and Jenna Cassidy (19:45.0) were right behind her. Junior Rachel Whetstone was the final Malone team member inside the top-10 with an eighth-place finish of 19:55.3. Those four student-athletes were named NCCAA All-Americans with Yeager and Stoneman two-time honorees.
 
Junior Carolyn Miller in 19th was the next Pioneer to cross the finish line. She completed the event in 20:41.8. Freshmen Olivia Szmania (20:59.8) and Brooklyn McIntyre (21:24.6) were the sixth and seventh runners for Malone.

"We are so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful organization that puts on incredible championship experiences," Head Coach Zach Fresenko said post-meet. "I'm proud of the way the team competed this season and this was the perfect way to wrap up the year." By way of winning both the men's and women's cross country titles, Coach Fresenko was listed as the NCCAA National Coach of the Year for both sports.
 
After a short break, the Pioneers will be back in action for the indoor track & field season beginning on December 6 at the University of Mount Union (Toy Drive Invite).