The UNI men’s and women’s cross country teams traveled to Valparaiso, Ind., on Saturday, Nov. 2 for the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships.  In their last race before the NCAA Championships on Nov. 15, the Northern Iowa men’s team notched a third-place finish, and the Panther women finished in sixth.

The Panther men were led by senior Wal Khat, who finished in fifth place with a time of 25:05. Senior C.J. May followed right behind him with a sixth-place finish.

Bradley University won the team race with 17 points, including the top four finishers on the men’s side, followed by Drake University with 74 points. The Panthers ended up with 94 points, placing third overall in the team scores.

The Panther women came in at sixth place in a race dominated by the University of Loyola-Chicago. The Ramblers had the top four finishers in the race, leading with 17 total points and the first-place finish. McKayla Cole was the top finisher for the Panthers, crossing the finish line with a time of 18:43.

Up next, the Panther men and women will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for the NCAA Midwest Regional on Friday, Nov. 15.