Bowling Green, KY - The third-ranked University of the Cumberlands men's cross country team continued its conference dominance Friday morning, capturing its third consecutive Mid-South Conference Championship with a perfect team score of 15 points. The Patriots placed all seven scoring runners inside the top eight and swept the top six individual spots to highlight one of the most dominant performances in program history. 

Leading the way was Ishak Mekideche, who crossed the line in 25:36.18 to claim the individual title. The freshman standout earned both MSC Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors for his effort. 

Ryan Ehrler followed closely in second (25:39.17), while Niklas Scherb (25:50.33), Noah Loeser (25:59.15), and Hauke Trost (26:10.14) completed the Patriots' sweep of the top five. Casey DeSilvey placed sixth (26:13.79) to round out UC's perfect scoring effort. 

Each of Cumberlands' top six finishers — Mekideche, Ehrler, Scherb, Loeser, Trost, and DeSilvey — earned First Team All-Conference honors, awarded to the top seven finishers overall. 

Sean Crady placed eighth (26:36.49) to earn Second Team All-Conference recognition, while Caden Cull (13th, 27:02.33) and Ben Beilfuss (14th, 27:02.85) also earned Second Team All-Conference honors. 

The Patriots' sweep extended their streak to three consecutive MSC titles, while Cumberlands Coach Bradley Sowder also claimed Coach of the Year honors. 

Cumberlands delivered a dominant team performance, taking first place with a perfect score of 15 points after sweeping the top five individual spots. Bethel (Tenn.) finished runner-up with 84 points, narrowly edging Cumberland (Tenn.), who placed third with 85 points. Campbellsville (99) and Lindsey Wilson (109) rounded out the top five, followed by Georgetown (Ky.) in sixth (113) and Freed-Hardeman in seventh (125). 

With this conference win, the Patriots get an automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships which are set to take place in just two weeks on November 21. UC will travel to Tallahassee, Florida for a chance to bring home the red banner. 

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