The Johnnie cross country team runs at the 2015 MIAC Championship at 3:15 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Como Golf Course in St. Paul.



A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's tied for fifth out of 21 teams at the Wisconsin-La Crosse Invitational two weeks ago (Oct. 17) at the Ettrick G.C. in Ettrick, Wis. Division I Minnesota won the race with 52 points, followed by No. 4 St. Olaf (56) and Iowa Central C.C. (96). The host Eagles, ranked eighth nationally, took fourth with 102 points, while SJU and Paradise Valley C.C. (Ariz.) tied for fifth with 175 points. 

Senior Thomas Feichtinger (Omaha, Neb./Mount Michael Benedictine) led SJU in sixth overall, third among NCAA Division III runners, with an 8k time of 25:03. Junior Ryan Bugler (Okinawa, Japan/Kubasaki) followed in 27th (25:39) and senior Jake Burr (Glencoe, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake) claimed 39th (26:01), 13 seconds ahead of sophomore Matthew Burgstahler (Sandpoint, Idaho) in 49th (26:14). Junior Brandon Franta (La Crescent, Minn.) rounded out the Johnnies' five in 54th (26:27).

SENIOR LEADER: Feichtinger has led SJU at each of its last 10 cross-country meets dating back to fall of 2013. He is a combined 10-time All-MIAC honoree as a student-athlete in cross country (1), indoor (4) and outdoor (5) track and field.

LAST YEAR'S RACE: The Johnnies finished fourth out of 11 teams at last year's MIAC Championship on Nov. 1 (2014). St. Olaf won its third consecutive conference title with a total of 16 points, followed by Carleton (72), St. Thomas (105) and SJU (120). STO's Grant Wintheiser won the 227-man field with a time of 24:47 as the Oles had five of the first six finishers in the race. 

Individually, Feichtinger earned All-MIAC distinction (top 15) with a seventh-place finish (25:30) to lead SJU. Senior Preston Zimny (Royalton, Minn./Little Falls) followed in 25th (26:20), while classmate Andrew Hansen (Eden Prairie, Minn.) was close behind in 28th (26:33). Bugler and junior Maxwell Kuzara (Deephaven, Minn./Minnetonka) crossed the finish line next in 33rd (26:47) and 34th (26:48), respectively. Burr rounded out the Johnnies' top seven in 37th (26:50).

SJU'S MIAC HISTORY: SJU has won the MIAC title in cross country 15 times, the last being back-to-back seasons in 2006 and 2007. Streaks of titles is nothing new to the program, as it won five straight from 1968-72, three consecutive from 1981-83 and four in a row from 1996-99. The Johnnies have claimed fourth each of the past three seasons.