Winneconne, Wisconsin - Trinity was represented by three runners at the NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Lake Breeze Golf Course.

The top finisher for the Tigers was first-year student-athlete Oliver Langselius, who completed the men's 8k event in 25:46.50, for a 149th-place finish out of 278 competitors. Langselius is only the second Trinity first-year runner to qualify for nationals, with Tom Pillow being the first in 1996. Langselius's finish was the sixth-best in Trinity's record books, and was the best for a Tiger men's runner since 2008.

"Today was a great learning experience for Oliver," revealed Trinity Head Coach Emily Daum.  "He fell with a group of guys from the University of Chicago early on, but got up quick and ran a smart race.  I can't wait to see what the future holds for him."

Senior Taylor Piske clocked in at 25:56.10 and came in at No. 179. Piske entered Trinity's top-10 list after Saturday's run. Sophomore Emma MacEachern placed 236th in a field of 280 in the women's 6k, crossing the finish line in 23:17.40.

"In cross country, there are always things we can't control," said Coach Daum.  "For Emma, that was getting sick the day before nationals.  I'm extremely proud of the toughness she showed today, as I was not sure if she would even be able to race given the condition she was in.  She put in a lot of hard work this year, and made it as an individual to the national meet, when she barely made the All-Region team last year.  I'm very excited to see how she progresses these next few years.  As for Taylor, he's now in the top 10 for Trinity all-time.  I know it's not exactly what he was hoping for, but he put in a ton of work to get here, and I'm very proud of him."

All three Tigers qualified for nationals by high finishes at last week's NCAA South/Southeast Regional at Kernstown, Virginia. Piske placed sixth of 200 runners in the men's race, and Langselius was seventh. MacEachern qualified with an eighth-place performance in the women's Regional event.

The quest for nationals kicked into high gear October 31 at the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference Championships in Sherman, Texas. The Tiger men won the title by posting a perfect score of 15, and Trinity's women were runners-up. Piske emerged as the men's champion, and was named SCAC Men's Runner of the Year. Langselius came in third, and was tabbed the SCAC Men's Freshman of the Year. MacEachern placed third in the women's competition.

For her efforts at the helm, second-year Head Coach Emily Daum was elected the SCAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year. The talented Coach Daum, a 2009 Trinity grad, was a four-time All-American in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. She also was a two-time SCAC Runner of the Year, in both cross country and track and field.