MECHANICSVILLE, Va. – Led by captain Carson Gilbertson (Macomb, Mich./Dakota) and a talented cast of freshmen, Macomb Men's Cross Country finished 10^th nationally at Saturday's (Nov. 9) NJCAA Division II National Championship in Mechanicsville, Va. The strong day marked the seventh top 10 finish for the team this season.
 
Dylan Penberthy (New Haven, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North) checked in 23^rd overall with an 8K time of 26:34.2 and Brandon Penberthy (New Haven, Mich./L'Anse Creuse North) followed in 33^rd at 26:34.2 to pace the Blue & White to the 10^th place finish. While the Penberthy twins led the way, Gabe Rusch (New Baltimore, Mich./Anchor Bay) did his part to secure the impressive finish with a 27:27.4 performance to check in 73rd nationally.
 
Gilbertson was the first of three Monarchs to record a new PR with a 97^th place finish and an 8K time of 27:48.2. Lucas Shemansky (Fraser, Mich./Fraser) followed with a PR of his own in 102^nd place at 27:56.0 and Daryl Winters III (Detroit, Mich./Warren Mott) raced to a PR time of 28:45.2 to finish 164^th overall. Jack DeWaele (Clinton Twp., Mich./Chippewa Valley) finished 112^th at 28:05.3.
 
"Proud is an understatement for this group," reflected Matt Fecht, the program's third-year head coach. "We had a mission to restore Macomb Men's Cross Country and I believe after today's effort we have done just that. While the job is far from finished, I am proud of the team and appreciative of their efforts throughout the season."