Cross Country’s Maendel and Couturier Compete at National Championship
Richmond, VA – All season long the NCMC Cross Country team has been competing against some of the best competition and for two runners who earned the opportunity to compete at the biggest race of the season that experience proved valuable.
Zach Maendel (Petoskey/St. Michael’s Academy) finished the 8K race with a time of 28:45 earned 165th place out of the 315 runners. This time is 6 seconds faster than Maendel’s time at the 2023 National Championship held in Huntsville, AL while the finishing place was deeper as a result of the strength of competition this season. Maendel is the first ever Timberwolf to qualify for and compete in the NJCAA DII National Championship meet for both seasons.
Kendra Couturier (Lake Leelanau/Lake Leelanau St. Mary) competed at her first National Championship and finished 164th out of 317 runners with a time of 22:10. Couturier will have the opportunity to compete next season in the hopes of returning to the National Championship meet.