JOPLIN, Mo. - The Fort Hays State men's cross country team posted a solid performance at the 2021 NCAA DII Central Region Championships Saturday morning (Nov. 6) at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course, finishing seventh out of 31 schools. Senior Robbie Schmidt earned All-Region honors after finishing 12th individually.
 
The Tigers finished fifth amongst MIAA competition two weeks after they finished seventh at the league championships. FHSU finished one spot ahead of Northwest Missouri State, the 29th-ranked team in the country.
 
Schmidt, the lone Tiger to compete in a collegiate 10K before Saturday, set a new PR by one minute, 40 seconds after crossing the line in 30:08.99. Grant Bradley was the next Tiger across the line, finishing 40th with a time of 31:20.85.
 
Jaret Pfizenmaier completed the race in 31:51.00, good for 60th, with Erick Estrada finishing just behind in 61st in 31:51.52. Javyn Contreras rounded out the Tiger top five in 71st place with a time of 32:05.61.
 
Augustana took home the regional title with 43 points after placing three runners in the top 10, while Missouri Southern's Ryan Riddle took home the individual title on his home course with a time of 29:22.3.
 
The Tigers have now finished in the top 10 in the region 12 times during Dr. Jason McCullough's 16-season tenure at FHSU.
 
The Tigers will now await the announcement of the full field selected to compete in the NCAA DII Championships, scheduled to be released on Monday (Nov. 8). Eight of the top 12 runners were on teams that earned automatic qualification, while top two individuals not on those teams also earn a trip to Saint Leo, Fla. This puts Schmidt second in line for a potential at-large bid, with a minimum of eight runners from across the country will be selected based off their performance at the regional meet.
 
Full FHSU Results
7th - Fort Hays State - 244 points
12th - Robbie Schmidt - 30:08.99
40th - Grant Bradley - 31:20.85
60th - Jaret Pfizenmaier - 31:51.00
61st - Erick Estrada - 31:51.52
71st - Javyn Contreras - 32:05.61
104th - Aaron Mangan - 32:46.22
107th - Gavin Brady - 32:48.74