Justyna Mudy was even more surprised to win another national championship than she was after her first a year before on the same course.
While the senior from Shorter University of Rome, Ga., claimed a second consecutive individual title at the NAIA cross country championships Saturday at Fort Vancouver National Site, fending off Eastern Oregon’s Karlee Coffey by four seconds, the men’s race was a most emphatic changing of the guard.
Kennedy Kithuka, a freshman from Wayland Baptist of Plainview, Texas, was utterly dominating in the men’s race, blowing the race wide open during the second of four 2-kilometer laps and ultimately nearly lapping a runner before winning by 39 seconds.
The Southern Oregon men and Cal State San Marcos women claimed the team titles, SOU by a 105-124 win over Wayland Baptist and San Marcos over Biola University, 88-127.
Quite happy to finish 11th in the women’s race was Lewis-Clark State College junior Kelsey Klettke, a Prairie High School graduate.
“I was running well,” Klettke said. “I was third at the mile and a half mark, and I kind of faded away right about there. I dropped back into sixth place for a while and I held onto sixth place through about the two and a half mile mark. About a few miles to go, a few girls passed me and I held my position as long as possible. It was a tough last mile, but I was just thinking, ‘Last race of the year. You worked for months for this, so better run hard right now.’ “
Klettke garnered All-America status with her finish.
After a week of rain and an ominous forecast, weather for the races was cool and overcast — but dry. Of all unexpected things to happen, the sun actually came out for most of the men’s race.
“I’m feeling good now,” Kithuka said. “The course was muddy, but I’m happy with the way I ran, anyway. Today, I think the conditions were not too bad.”
Mudy said she was actually a little disappointed, because she likes running in the rain. While the course was a bit sloppy from the preceding days of ran, there seemed to be few complaints.
“Yes, but that’s cross country,” she said. “It’s not track. It’s supposed to be hard.”
The event will return to Vancouver next year, with the host site for subsequent seasons yet to be determined.
