NIACC places 3rd at Trent Smith Invitational
MASON CITY - The NIACC men's cross country team placed third at the Trent Smith Invitational Saturday morning on the NIACC campus.
The Trojans placed third with 92 points, Wartburg College was the team champion with 27 points and DMACC was second with 28 team points.
Wartburg's Ben Neville was the individual champion in a time of 26 minutes, 21 seconds in the 8-kilometer race. Neville's time of 26:21 is the 10th fastest time in the history of the Trent Smith Invitational, which started in 2017.
NIACC was led by freshman Xander Graeser, who placed 29th in a time of 30:01. Also for the Trojans, sophomore Lukas Vance was 32nd (31:15), sophomore Kevin Carney was 33rd (31:37), freshman Nikolli Mosley was 36th (35:24) and freshman Colby Essing was 40th (37:29).
Former NIACC Trojan Breyden Christensen, who attends Waldorf University, placed 20th in a time of 28:27.
NIACC returns to action on Friday at the University of Minnesota's Roy Griak Invitational in St. Paul, Minn.
Team standings - Wartburg College 27, DMACC 28, NIACC 92, Faith Baptist Bible College 103, Bethany Lutheran (no team score), Waldorf University (no team score).
TRENT SMITH INVITATIONAL HISTORY
PAST MEN'S TEAM CHAMPIONS
2017 – NIACC 36 points
2018 - Hawkeye CC 28 points
2019 - University of Minnesota-Duluth 27 points
2020 – NIACC 20 points
2021 - Indian Hills 30 points
2023 - Iowa Central 29 points
2024 - Wartburg College 26 points
2025 - Wartburg College 27 points
PAST MEN'S INDIVIDUAL CHAMPIONS
2017 - Brian Jacques (NIACC) 25:17
2018 - Abdiaziz Wako (NIACC) 26:41
2019 - Benjamin Allen (Concordia) 26:15
2020 - Sam Mickelson (Hawkeye CC) 26:17
2021 - Melvin Kipkemboi (NIACC) 25:22
2023 - Jadon Boots (Iowa Central) 26:09
2024 - Adrian Welton (unattached) 26:22
2025 - Ben Neville (Wartburg College) 26:21
Top 10 Trent Smith Invitational men's times (8K) (2017-25)
Brian Jacques (NIACC) 25:17 (2017)
Melvin Kipkemboi (NIACC) 25:22 (2021)
Brian Kitur (Unattached) 25:47 (2017)
Wal Khat (NIACC alumni) 25:47 (2017)
Blake Keller (NIACC) 26:05 (2017)
Jadon Boots (Iowa Central) 26:09 (2023)
Benjamain Allen (Concordia University) 26:15 (2019)
Sam Mickelson (Hawkeye CC) 26:17 (2020)
Melvin Kipkemboi (NIACC) 26:21 (2020)
Ben Neville (Wartburg College) 26:21 (2025)
