Bethel College hosted the Muthama-Rogers Classic on Saturday, Oct. 3. The men’s cross country team ran first in the morning, covering eight kilometers. Bethel won the race as a team, with three runners finishing in the top ten. The first to finish for Bethel was sophomore Asa Johnson from Lee Summit, Mo. Asa won the race with a spectacular time of 26:51:6 and had some thoughts about his performance.
“I stayed focused on running my race and doing what I needed to do to help secure the win,” said Johnson. “I think the biggest keys to our success were that everyone understood their role and knew what they needed to accomplish going into the race. We trusted our training, stuck to the plan, and executed when it mattered most.”
Not long after Johnson finished, senior from Newton, Marcus Fiedler placed third in the race with a great time of 27:33:8.
“My legs felt heavy, and there was not a lot of competition to push me,” Said Fiedler. “However, I still finished with a good placing, so I am fairly happy with the race. I felt that the race as a whole for the guys’ side went well. We beat out MidAmerican Nazarene by four points to win the meet, which was a great way to close out the last home meet of my career!”
Another notable performance on the men’s side was sophomore Braylon Hunnell from Halstead, who finished 9th with a time of 28:51:6.
On the women’s side, all four fought hard throughout the race. Senior Emma Graber from Divide, Colo., led the team, finishing fourth with an impressive time of 20:54:1.
“I think the race went pretty well, and what got me through was my competition. This course was a pretty fun one where you’re weaving through a field, and even though the ground is a little bumpy, the rain we had earlier in the week actually helped even it out a bit. Even though Cross Country is a mainly individual sport, my teammates always bring great energy and make the race just a little bit easier.”
The Bethel College Cross Country team is in great shape, as they continue their season to making strides of greatness. They will be traveling to the Blazing Tiger Classic on Oct. 24, 2026.