TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - In their third straight appearance at the NCAA National Championships the Thunderbird men's cross country team finished 27th in the field to bring the 2016 campaign to a close.

The race was a 10K ran at LeVern Gibson Championship XC Course, hosted by Indiana State University.

Josh Collins led the charge for the Thunderbirds, finishing 61st overall with a time of 30:36.4. Collins also led the way for the T-Birds at the NCAA Mountain Regionals. Last year at the NCAA Championships Collins finished 219th, showing a big improvement this time around.

SUU head coach Eric Houle said he was impressed by the way Collins finished the season.

“He was right within striking distance, and really close to being an All-American,” he said. “It's a huge improvement over last year, and that's what we as coaches hope for.”  

George Espino was SUU's second finisher, landing in 156th place with a time of 31:18.5. Matt Wright was third for SUU and 168th overall with a time of 31:21.8.

Kasey Knevelbaard crossed the line fourth for SUU, finishing 180th with a time of 31:28.2. Brady Olson rounded out SUU's top-five with a time of 31:43.0 to finish in 203rd overall.

Aidan Reed was sixth for SUU with a 31:52.8 and Kyle Warrick was seventh for the T-Birds with a 32:50.8.

Even though the T-Birds didn't accomplish exactly what they wanted at the meet, Collins said it was a good learning experience for the team and they're looking forward to what they'll be able to accomplish in the future.

“I feel like we could have finished a lot better today, but it gives extra motivation for next year,” he said. “It keeps our heads in the game and allows us to try and focus on next year.”

As a whole, the 2016 season for the Thunderbirds was a big success. Houle said there's a ton of positives to take away from the year, and there was a lot to learn from.

“When you look at the whole season, it was a very successful one especially with such a young team,” he said. “I hope everyone gained the experience needed to set the stage for a bigger year next year.”

The National Championship was claimed by Northern Arizona, who spent the majority of the season as the top ranked team in the country.

Patrick Tiernan from Villanova won the individual title, followed by Justyn Knight from Syracuse and Edward Cheserek from Oregon.

With the cross country season coming to a close, the athletes will turn their attention to the Indoor Track & Field season that will begin in January.