Aron Rono of Azusa Pacific (Calif.) University won the individual title for the second straight year as he covered the eight-kilometer course in 23:45.8 to finish just over 17 seconds ahead of runner-up Nik Schweikert of Malone University (24:03.0). Abednego Magut of Azusa Pacific (24:31.3), Jordan Powell of Oklahoma Christian University (24:35.1), and Aaron Melhorn of Malone (24:36.1) rounded out the top five.

Porostosky, who finished 14th in the AMC Championship to earn a spot in the NAIA National Championship - the first-ever for a Cougar runner, covered the challenging course in 26:15.3 to finish just under 15 seconds off his own school record. He was also the 13th finisher among AMC runners in the race. In addition, Porostosky was named to the NAIA Scholar-Athlete Team as he has a 3.80 grade point average as a General Music major.

“This was an exciting weekend for Mark and he represented MVNU and the AMC well,” said MVNU coach Chip Wilson. “He has worked hard all year and he was very deserving of running in this race. Along with his running accomplishments, he was also recognized as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete. He has shown his work ethic as a runner and as a student. He has been a great example for the rest of the team.”

“We discovered quickly that this race was different than either of us had been a part of at MVNU,” Wilson continued. “It was a physical race with every runner trying to move up, and with 331 runners on the course it made this a tough race. However, Mark had a solid race and he finished well. This was a learning experience for both of us, and we will take this knowledge into next season.”

Malone finished with a team total of 61 points to claim its second straight NAIA national title and third overall. The Pioneers, who were ranked No. 1 in every NAIA poll this year, edged out Azusa Pacific (118 points) to claim the team title. Aquinas (Mich.) College (194 points), Southern Oregon University (197 points), and Indiana Institute of Technology (245 points) rounded out the top five in the 32-team race.