MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.—Improving four spots over the previous year, the Central College men's cross country team was sixth in a oversized 29-team field at the Roy Griak Invitational Friday afternoon.
           
NCAA Division II school Michigan Tech University had 62 points to take the top spot over the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, which had 77. The University of Sioux Falls ws third with 96 while Central had 188. Buena Vista University was the only other American Rivers school competing and finished 21st with 581.
           
Central's Noah Jorgenson (junior, Sidney) was 12th in 25:54.1 among 408 runners, more than a minute faster than his time on the same course last year
           
"Noah ran well," coach Joe Dunham said. "He looks really good. Very comfortable and in control."
           
Caleb Silver (senior, Conrad, BCLUW HS) was 34th in 26:26.7, Adam Sylvia (senior, Rochester, Mass., Old Rochester HS) was 38th in 26:29.2, a 30-second improvement over a year ago. Kenny Cronin (sophomore, Des Moines, Davis County HS) was 53rd in 26:38.0, Cutler Owens (5th-year, Runnells, Southeast Polk HS) was 66th in 26:54.3, Randy Jimenez (sophomore, Liberty Center, Southeast Warren HS) was 125th in 27:36.3 and Derek Webster (sophomore, Norwalk) was 143rd in 27:52.5.
           
"They ran a really smart race," Dunham said. "It's always tricky when you get in these big fields on how fast you need to go out to make sure we're in good position. We had some really good performances."
           
Central travels to Geneva, Illinois next Saturday for the Aurora (Ill.) Invitational. It's the site of the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional Nov. 12, so next week's meet is expected to attract a large field of teams previewing the course.
           
"I feel like the team is moving into that place where we want to be by the end of the year," Dunham said.