Tallahassee, Fla. - The Marian men's cross country season came to a close on Friday morning, as the Knights finished their season at the NAIA National Championships. Marian placed 15th overall in the field, and was led individually by Tristan Trevino.

In a loaded field of the NAIA's best, the men's cross country program gave a strong effort in the National Championship meet, running as a team for the second consecutive season. Marian started the meet with an outside starting box, having to work through the pack to get into a competitive position. 

The Knights worked their way into the top-25 in the first three kilometers, and continued to climb, reaching 12th in the finishing stretch. IU-East, Corban, and the College of Idaho would pass over Marian as the runners made their way to the finish line, with the Knights settling into a final placement of 15th overall. Marian's team score on the day was 416 points.

Indiana Wesleyan won the NAIA Championship, with each of its top-five runners earning All-American honors. The Wildcats defeated The Master's, 117-128. The University of the Cumberlands, Rocky Mountain, and Taylor would round out the top five in the championship. Marian's 15th-place finish was ahead of fellow CL members Goshen (18) and Spring Arbor (22).

Individually, Tristan Trevino led Marian, finishing 50th overall and 44th in the scoring order. Trevino's time for the national championship was 25:23.9, with the junior finishing ahead of teammate Benjamin Moster by 13 seconds. Moster finished 71st with a 25:36 time. Charles Leedke was the third Knight to finish, cracking the top 100 in the over 300 athlete field, as Leedke scored a 25:52 time.

Completing Marian's efforts were Benjamin Riehle (114, 26:03), Marc Hernandez (177, 26:30), Clark Chustz (180, 26:30), and Preston Markley (228, 26:56.1). 

With cross country season in the books, the Knights now turn their focus to track and field season. The Knights open their indoor season on December 5 and 6. 

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