Haskell runner earns first weekly honor of CAC season after area universities compete in Bob Timmons Classic

Haskell Indian Nations University senior Jaiven Hale earned the Continental Athletic Conference’s cross-country runner of the week award after his performance Saturday in the Bob Timmons Classic in Lawrence.

The Fighting Indians took fourth place as a team, followed by Baldwin City’s Baker University. The University of Kansas came in second place, dominating the event’s top 10.

Hale, of New Town, North Dakota, finished the men’s 6K in 14th place with a time of 19:07.25, less than 2.5 seconds behind KU’s Andrew Schumacher. Haskell’s Dyami Berridge (19:43.59, 21st) and Jonathan Fraqua (20:11.18, 28th) rounded out the top 30.

Luke Perrson of Baker was the highest-placing Wildcat in 37th out of the 71-person field with a time of 20:39.69, one spot ahead of Haskell’s Burton Miner (20.51.45).

KU came in second with four runners in the top 10. Ryo Higuchi (18:30.31) came in sixth, followed by Hobbs Campbell (18:48.87), Parker Walion (18:52.92), and Lenny Njoroge (18:57.68).

Oral Roberts took the top three spots and won the event.

Haskell took seventh in the women’s 5K, led by Yanibah Begay in 41st with a time of 23:27.05. Nina Bitsilly (23:50.62) followed in 48th of 58 runners. The Baker women came in fifth, led by Haley Carter in 17th (20:02.72). The next closest Wildcat was Ellie Barnard in 28th (21:14.86).

The Kansas women won the event and dominated the top 10, including the top three spots, with Tori Wingrove in the lead (17:55.99) followed by Emmaculate Jemutai (18:09.57) and Kaitlyn Swartz (18:12.82). The top 10 was rounded out by Mia Murray (19:06.09) in seventh, followed by Olivia Krueger (19:12.10), Laya Erickson (19:16.67) and Irine Jepkirui (19:10.0).