Panec takes first place at GPAC Championships

SIOUX CENTER, Iowa – It was a day to remember for senior Jeremiah Panec (Kenesaw, Neb.).

 The senior brought home a first-place finish for the DWU men's cross country team on Saturday at the Great Plains Athletic Conference Championships in Sioux Center, Iowa.

 Panec finished in a time of 24:56, just two seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. Panec improved his time at the GPAC meet, after taking fifth place last season. He will now prepare for the upcoming NAIA National Cross Country National Championships on Nov. 18 in Vancouver, Wash.

 Rounding out the DWU men, senior Lane Tibbs (Kenesaw, Neb.) tallied a 24^th-place finish in 26:34, while Rex Schlicht (Woonsocket, S.D.) and Bryce Blank (Rapid City, S.D.) took 46^th and 47^th-place, respectively. Freshman Brendan Langbehn (Worthing, S.D.) finished in 68^th-place, while Anthony Fontenot (Stephan, S.D.) took 79^th. The Tiger men took seventh place out of 10 teams.

 For the DWU women, McKenna Rogers (Saint Michael, Minn.) came in 37^th-place, Kelsie King (Mission Viejo, Calif.) took 51^st and Morgan Aughenbaugh (Huron, S.D.) finished in 70^th-place. Freshman Macey Bohl (Garretson, S.D.) took 76^th-place, while Savannah Schmidt (Plankinton, S.D.) came in 85^th and Shailhyn Scweigert (Burke, S.D.) and Shelby Dittman (Spearfish, S.D.) finished in 87^th and 88^th-place respectively.

 DWU women finished in ninth place out of 11 teams.