TERRE HAUTE – The Carthage men's cross country team competed in the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Championships on Saturday afternoon at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. It was a cool, cloudy day with good course conditions for the field of 294 runners. The Firebirds battled hard for the entire 8,000-meter race and came away with the best team finish in program history.
 

 
The Firebirds placed 28th overall in the field of 32 teams with a score of 654 points. The team. North Region champions Wis-La Crosse came away with the win in the National Championships with a score of 77 points. Wartburg placed second with 173 points, while Pomona-Pitzer placed third at 182 points. Rounding out the top five were Wis-Whitewater at 219 and New York at 220.

The Firebirds finished ahead of Hope (656), John Carroll (680), Augustana (Ill.) (740), and Calvin (751). Coming into the meet, the Firebirds had not defeated any team in the field of 32 this season.
 

 
Jacob Curulewski led the Firebirds with a 76th place finish in a time of 25:02.3. Craig Hundley II placed in 156th with a finishing time of 25:30.6. Ethan Walker finished in 182nd place with a time of 25:41.0 Trevor Swanson finished 225 with a time of 25:57.7, while Micah Anderson finished the scoring for Carthage with a 231st place finish in 25:59.0.


 



 
The 2024 Carthage men's cross country season has come to a close. The Firebirds will return to action on Dec. 7 as the track & field season kicks off in Kenosha, Wis. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.