HIGHLAND HILLS, OHIO 11/21/09 - The soggy trails weren't kind to the Owls competing at the Division III NCAA Cross Country Championships at Highland Hills, Ohio on Saturday. 

Returning to the nationals for the first time in three years, the Keene State men's cross country team finished a disappointing 29th with 644 points in the 32-team field. Sophomore Paige Mills of Keene, who had earned an at-large berth to the championship, placed 160th in the women's race.

Looking to earn All-America honors in his final NCAA cross country race,  senior Jared Samuel (Londonderry, N.H.) was the top finisher for the Owls, finishing 63rd (26:37) on the 8K course at Highland Park Golf Course. 

He was followed to the finish line by the juniors Eric MacKnight (Newtown, Conn) and Brandon Schillemat (Nelson, N.H.) MacKnight, who lost one his shoes during the race, placed 125th (27:11) while Schillemat finished 134th (27:16).  Sophomore Kevin Hoyt (Newtown, Conn.), who was 152nd (27:30) and junior Tim Pipp (Ipswich, N.H.), who finished 170th (27:44), round out the scorers for KSC.  Junior Jeff Trethewey (Merrimack, N.H.) and freshman Andrew Sears (Derry, N.H.) were also competing for the Owls.  One of the Owls top runners during the season, Trethewey placed 186th (27:57) while Sears was 216th (29:13).

"It was a combination of inexperience and two difficult course two weeks in a row," said KSC Coach Peter Thomas.  "They're pretty disappointed.  At the same time, they did well to get out here.  "This team needs to make its own history and this experience will help them in the long run."

Samuel and Trethewey started out well, running in the top 30 before faltering. "I went out the first two miles feeling really strong and by the third mile I just tightened up and got tired..  After that I was running to survive the race,"  Samuel said. "Pete told us to treat it like any other race, but it's different when you get out there.  I feel bad. It didn't go as well as I wanted it to go."

"The kids who are returning know what it feels like as a team," Samuel said.  "And hopefully, when they go out there next year, they'll be able to represent Keene State a little bit better."

Nursing a pulled muscle all week, Paige wasn't in top form for the race.  She posted a time of 24:07 on the 6K course.

"Paige didn't get to run all week because of her hamstring was pretty beat up from last week.  Paige ran well for the first three-quarters of a mile then she started to struggle," Thomas said.  "Her leg started to hurt and I told her to run, don't race." 

North Central (Ill.) College captured its 13th men's team championship with 50 points.  Williams College placed second with 181 points.  Rick Flynn, a senior from Lynchburg College won the individual title with a time of 25:09.