Led by Cooper Teare, the Oregon men’s cross country team secured a top 10 finish at the NCAA Division 1 Cross Country National Championships Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind. The team finished ninth overall with 307 points.

Teare, a junior, received All-American honors and finished sixth individually with a time of 30:49 in the men’s 10K. This was his first All-American performance, improving on last year’s NCAA Championship outing by 88 spots.

“Honestly, right now I’d say this was the race of my life,” Teare told GoDucks.com.

Three of Teare’s teammates finished in the top 75, with Cole Hocker placing 69th, Jackson Mestler coming in at 73rd and James West at 74th. 

In the women’s 8K, sophomore Taylor Chiotti was the only Duck to finish in the top 100 with her 79th place finish. This was Chiotti’s first appearance at the National Championships. The team finished 26th overall, as Amanda Gehrich and Isabelle Brauer were the next Oregon runners to cross the finish line. 

Both teams battled muddy conditions due to a consistent rain on Saturday afternoon. 

“It was really tough out there with the rain and the ground being pretty soft,” Chiotti told GoDucks.com. “We hadn’t run a course like that this year so I think a lot of us were tested today.”

With the cross country season concluded, the Ducks will shift their focus to the track and field season in the spring.