VICTORIA, Kans. – The Western men and women both emerged victorious from the 2017 FHSU Tiger Open. Both Western squads took home the team titles with Aneta Konieczek pacing the women with her 2^nd place finish while Taylor Stack guided the Mountaineer men with his 4^th place overall finish.
 
On a rain-soaked course that at times looked more like the water barrier of a steeplechase pit, the Mountaineer women started things off winning the Women's Gold 5k race with a team score of 48 points. The next closest competitor to the Mountaineers were the Gorillas of Pittsburg State with 73 points. Despite coming off a fine showing at the revered Roy Griak Invitational that vaulted Pittsburg State into seventh place in the National Rankings, the Gorillas were no match for a balanced Mountaineer squad.
 
True freshman, Aneta Konieczek finished second overall with a finishing time of 18:15.9 on a course that was far from fast given the conditions. But, cross country is about beating people and that is what the Mountaineers did across the board. Following Konieczek, Erin Norton continued to improve for Western finding herself in 8^th place overall. With two ahead of Pitt State's first athlete, it was up to the Western pack to finish the job. Junior, Cassidy Ahrens and Senior Glindyll Mancia rose to the occasion finishing together at 19:00 in 16^th and 17^th place respectively. Following close behind, Amy Penn rounded out the scoring for the Mountaineers in 21^st place. With a low-stick in Konieczek the Mountaineers followed with consistent pack running to take the title. In their best showing of the season, the Mountaineers ran a 52 second spread which should help as the competition heats up in the championship season.
 
Following the race plan lead to success for the Mountaineer men as tight pack running brought home the title. In the men's race, conditions were no prettier but that did not stop redshirt freshman, Taylor Stack. For the third time in as many races, Stack paced the Mountaineers. Chasing a rising NCAA DII star and, overall champion, in Mason Phillips of Sioux Falls University, Stack placed 4^th overall with a clocking of 25:06. Following on the heels of Stack were Ahmed Jama and Ross Husch in 8^th and 10^th respectively giving the Mountaineers 3 of the top ten finishers. Not to be outdone, Bryant Byrd turned an admirable effort finishing 11^th for the Mountaineers with a 25:43. With four athletes in the top 15, the Mountaineers needed a solid showing and four and five. True freshman Luke Miller (26^th) and Senior Dawid Konieczek (33^rd) heard the call and finished the scoring for Western. From Stack to Konieczek the Mountaineers posted a spread of 1:29 with Jama and Miller making a significant impact for Western in their debuts.
 
Following the journey home from Victoria, Kansas the Mountaineers will begin their preparation for the RMAC Championships on 10/21/17 hosted by Chadron State College. In the interim, the Mountaineers will host the Annual W Mountain Run allowing their unattached and younger athletes an opportunity to shine in the rarified air of Gunnison, Colorado.