STILLWATER, Okla.---The Portland Pilots men's cross country team finished 21st as a program at the 2020 NCAA Championships held at the OSU Cross Country Course on Monday, which is recognized as one of the hardest courses to ever host the national meet.
 
Competing in his first 10K as a Pilot, Zak Kirk topped the Portland individuals with a 60th place finish overall in a time of 31:06.8.
 
Jacob Klemz came in next for the Pilots in 31:25.8 and good for 90th place. Third for the team was Cathal Doyle, earning 119th place in a time of 31:40.6. Stan Niesten claimed 131st with a time of 31:59.1, and Evert Silva was the last scorer for Portland in 147th place at 32:10.1.
 
Coming in 163rd was Bradley Peloquin in 32:22.1, and Riley Osen finished in the 222nd spot at 33:35.5.
 
Silva and Osen were the only two members of the seven-person squad returning for their second appearance at the national meet, as both represented the Pilots in their 10th-place team finish in 2019.

"I'm proud of the team's effort today," said head coach Rob Conner. "We were close to running big but came up just a little short.  We were just ten points from 16th which hurts a little."

"We got a huge race from Zak," said Conner. "He was in 48th with 1000 to go. It was a very impressive effort. I think we also got very good races from Jacob and Cathal. They both pushes hard the whole way. I think we did a very good job, it is something to build on, for sure."

This season the Pilots men's team remained in the top-25 of the USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll throughout the entire year, making it as high as the No. 7 program in the country back in Week 4.

Rob Conner's team made its 21st overall appearance at the NCAA Championships since 1993.
 
 
2020 NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships
Stillwater, Okla. (OSU Cross Country Course)
March 15, 2021

Team Results (10K)
1. #2 Northern Arizona – 60
2. #9 Notre Dame – 87
3. #6 Oklahoma State – 142
4. #3 Arkansas – 181
5. #4 Stanford – 194
6. #5 Tulsa – 237
7. #1 BYU – 254
8. #7 Iowa State – 265
9. #26 Southern Utah – 270
10. #12 Iona – 311
11. #21 Utah State – 351
12. #15 Ole Miss – 373
13. #22 Butler – 379
14. #8 Colorado – 398
15. #20 Wake Forest – 425
16. Duke – 462
17. #28 Michigan State – 463
18. #11 Wisconsin – 464
19. #19 Air Force – 464
20. Villanova – 468
21. #17 Portland – 472
22. Georgetown – 528
23. #13 NC State – 547
24. Furman – 560
25. #10 Washington – 568
26. #17 Indiana – 572
27. #14 Gonzaga – 591
28. #30 Charlotte – 634
29. #24 Purdue – 741
30. #25 Syracuse – 761

Portland Individuals
60. Zak Kirk (31:06.8) PR
90. Jacob Klemz (31:25.8) PR
119. Cathal Doyle (31:40.6) PR
131. Stan Niesten (31:59.1) PR
147. Evert Silva (32:10.1)
163. Bradley Peloquin (32:22.1) PR
222. Riley Osen (33:35.5)