The season got off to a great start for both teams as the Cougars finished second out of five teams and the women placed third out of five teams at the Shawnee State University Invitational. Then, the teams went on to compete in the Cedarville University Invitational (men - 10th of 16 teams, women - 11th of 16 teams) and the Otterbein College Invitational (men - 9th of 16 teams, women - 9th of 14 teams).

Next up was the All-Ohio Invitational hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University. The men’s team finished 30th out of 38 teams, while the women’s team was 34th out of 42 teams in the state’s largest race in which every college and university is invited regardless of size.

After running at the Wilmington College Invitational where the men finished 12th out of 26 teams and the women were 19th out of 25 teams, both squads participated in the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge hosted by Aquinas (Mich.) College. Running against some of the top NAIA teams in the country, the Cougars finished 18th out of 21 teams and the Lady Cougars were 19th out of 21 teams.

At that point, the teams turned their focus to the postseason as they ran two straight races at Cedarville University. First, came the American Mideast Conference Meet where the men were 7th out of 10 teams and the women were 10th out of 11 teams. Then, the following week, the men finished 9th out of 23 teams and the women were 13th out of 19 teams at the National Christian College Athletic Association Championship to close out the season.

"The 2009 season brought the MVNU cross country teams many challenges, but we worked through them all and learned together as a team,” said coach Chip Wilson. "We changed our mindset slightly this season as we tried to focus more on mental training than we have done in the past. With that in mind, I developed a training book that had three major focuses including attitude, discipline, and our relationships. I really care about my runners as people, and therefore my goal for this type of training was to help them become more well-rounded people instead of just outstanding runners.”

"We did spend the season with a challenging physical regimen, but the mental side of running is just as important,” Wilson continued. "I am a very competitive person and I want to win, but I realize that winning is not the most important thing. We spent time together as a team discussing these topics and finding out many interesting things about each individual on the team. These team sessions were some of the most memorable for me because I learned a great deal from my runners that helped bring us closer together as a team. I was very proud of both teams this year. We had many new faces that were quickly brought together by a strong group of leaders.”

The women’s team improved thanks to a good combination of improved returning runners and talented newcomers. Freshman Jessica Brant got the year and her college career off to a great start by shattering the school record in her very first race as she posted a time of 19:53.0 at Shawnee State. Despite battling injuries, she led the team in all seven races in which she competed. Senior Tara Patrick (21:03.0), sophomore Caitlin Campbell (21:11.2), and freshman Hannah Fertig (21:18.1) did a great job of pushing towards the front of the pack with Brant, while freshman Melissa Keiser (22:16.5), sophomore Nikki Yates (22:58.0), and freshman Bethany Parks (23:27.8) continued to move up as the season went along to give the team a well-balanced lineup. Sophomore DeAnna Hardeman (25:10.4) and senior Brittany Click (27:27.7) also showed improvement as the year progressed, and sophomore Katelyn Felger (23:58.0) ran well in the first two races before being sidelined with a stress fracture.

"The women’s team made some great improvements this year,” said Wilson. "Even though we were faced with a few injuries, the girls all worked hard and kept a close bond. We had five returning runners including our top two from last year. We also added a great group of five runners who had a major impact on this team from day one. Unfortunately, we lost one of top returning runners in Katelyn early in the season. This forced a few of the freshmen to step up immediately and I was proud of the way they met the challenge.”

"We were led throughout the season by Jessica,” Wilson continued. "She did have a slight setback with her hamstring, but she is a tough runner who wants to compete under any circumstance. Our seniors and captains did an excellent job keeping everybody focused on what was needed. Brittany, Tara, and Caitlin used their knowledge and work ethic to lead this very young group. I thought they responded well to the training and listened well to the leaders on the team. Our top seven this year consisted of four freshmen, two sophomores, and one senior. We will have much more experience on the women’s team next year and I am excited about their future. We are moving in the right direction, and we have a solid group of girls who will help us continue to build as a program.”

On the men’s side, senior Mark Porostosky did what he has done in every race during his four years on the team and that was to lead the Cougars in each race as he closed out his stellar career. His best time of the season came at Wilmington when he finished in 26:12.7. He was an AMC Honorable Mention pick and an NCCAA All-American.

Senior Dustin Wine (29:48.5) closed out his four-year career with a strong season, while seniors Kenny Alexander (28:49.0) and Joe Pittenger (30:05.6) also ran well. Sophomore Nate Winters (26:55.0) and freshman Anthony Lee (28:51.3) were among the top finishers for MVNU all year, and sophomore Jameson Seymour (29:56.7), junior David Clark (30:44.0), and freshmen Mark Rednour (32:06.3) and Jacob Pessia (32:21.4) rounded out the roster.

"The men’s team has had some early success as a young program and this is largely due to the success of Mark,” said Wilson. "He has set the standard for the men’s program at MVNU as a runner and a student. He is a two-time NAIA and NCCAA Scholar-Athlete as well as a two-time NCCAA All-American and an NAIA national qualifier. He has been the top finisher in every race for us in his four seasons as a Cougar. He has left some big shoes to fill, and he will be missed.”

"Even though Mark has had tremendous success, the team had many great leaders this season as well as some very talented runners,” Wilson added. "Our seniors were all four fantastic leaders as they led practices and discussions with their younger teammates. I could not have asked for four better guys to lead. They will all be missed.”

"We will have some strong returning runners, but we will need to develop some depth on the men’s side if we want to continue to become more competitive as a program,” said Wilson. "For the last two years, Nate has been able to challenge Mark in practices and races, and I look for Nate to take his efforts a step further next season. He has proven that he is an excellent runner, and he is capable of becoming a standout. I am fortunate to coach some very driven runners who want to do well, and I think this is a great step in continuing to develop the kind of program we want to have at MVNU.”