STILLWATER, Okla. -- Senior Daniel Bernal placed 47th to lead the Furman men's team to a 24th-place finish Monday at the 2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships on the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Okla. The Paladin women turned in a 31st-place finish.
A native of El Paso, Texas, Bernal, the 2020 SoCon Runner of the Year, led Furman with a time of 30:57.1 on the 10K course. Junior Cameron Ponder, who claimed first team All-American honors in the 3,000m indoors on Saturday, placed 116th with a time of 31:39.7, and freshman Dylan Schubert posted a time of 31:55.0 for 127th place. Senior Mason Coppi finished 169th with a time of 32:24.4, while sophomore Ares Reading crossed the line in 32:47.1 for 196th place. Junior Noah Dolhare placed 220th at 33:27.1, and sophomore Adam Beucler finished 235th at 35:24.1.
The Furman men's team, which scored its eighth-straight Southern Conference title in 2020, made its seventh team appearance at the NCAA Championships. The Paladins placed 12th at the national meet in 1965 and posted a 13th-place finish in 2015. Furman finished 14th at the national championships in 2019.
A squad of five freshmen and one sophomore represented the Furman women's team, with four freshmen leading the Paladins on the 6K course. Bethany Graham, a native of Aldie, Va., paced Furman with a time of 21:28.9, placing 95th, while Madelynne Cadeau turned in a time of 21:53.8 for 154th place. Jonna Strange finished 179th with a time of 22:09.8, and Emily Little crossed the line in 23:12.1 for 243rd place. Sophomore Nicole Matysik took 249th place at 23:54.1, and Megan Marvin recorded a time of 25:50.3 for 253rd place.
This year marked the fourth-consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships for the Paladin women's team, which entered the meet ranked 14th nationally. The Paladins, which also claimed their eight-consecutive league title in November, posted a seventh-place finish at the 2017 national meet, the team's first trip to the NCAA Championships, and finished 23rd in 2018. Furman recorded a ninth-place finish at the 2019 national meet.
Northern Arizona won their fourth men's title in five years, posting 60 points for Monday's victory, and BYU took the women's championship with 96 points.
Complete Furman Results
2020 NCAA Cross Country Championships
Women's 6K - 31st place - 761 points
95th Bethany Graham 21:28.9
154th Madelynne Cadeau 21:53.8
179th Jonna Strange 22:09.8
243rd Emily Little 23:12.1
249th Nicole Matysik 23:54.1
253rd Megan Marvin 25:50.3
Men's 10K - 24th place - 560 points
47th Daniel Bernal 30:57.1
116th Cameron Ponder 31:39.7
127th Dylan Schubert 31:55.0
169th Mason Coppi 32:24.4
196th Ares Reading 32:47.1
220th Noah Dolhare 33:27.1
235th Adam Beucler 35:24.1
