LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Junior Robert Peterson slogged through some very muddy conditions to place 100th in the men's 10k in 32:27.5 at the NCAA Division II cross country championships run at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park on Saturday, Dec. 6.
 
Peterson completed the race on an extremely wet, and very muddy course at the 38th-annual NCAA Div. II men's cross country championship. The course conditions were the big story going into the race. Heavy rainfall over the last few days led to standing water and slippery conditions throughout the park.
 
At the start of the race, Peterson set himself up at the center of the pack. At the first check-point the junior from Billings, Mont., was in 97th  place passing the 1800m mark in 5:50.1.
 
Into the middle portion of the course, around the tennis courts and back into the trees, Peterson had gained some ground passing the 5,000m checkpoint in the 65th position in a time of 16:19.1, and at the 4-mile spot Peterson was in 66th place with a time of 21:21.1.
 
Into the final portion of the race, Peterson fell back and lost some ground moving into the 84th position at the 8600m mark in 29:48.1.
 
Down the final stretch, Peterson pushed himself across the line, finishing in 100th place. Thirty-two NCAA Div. II teams ran the race in Louisville, with 24 additional individual qualifiers and 245 men's runners eventually crossing the finish line at the race on Saturday.
 
"He ran about as good race as he could, with the muddy conditions and all of the runners jostling for position out there today," head coach Dave Coppock said. "Toward the end he looked like he was struggling a little bit with the conditions - the mud and sliding around. He had kind-of a tough day on the course."
 
Taking the title for the second-consecutive year was Tabor Stevens from Adams State University. The senior crossed the finish line in the winning time of 30:02.0. Adams State had three runners in the top-5 and 69 total points to take the title for the third-consecutive year. Grand Valley State was the runner-up with 127 points, and Augustana (S.D.) finished with 136 points for third place in the team titles.
 
"It was a really slow course today, there was 2-4 inches of standing water with six inches of mud, making it slick and slippery out there," Peterson said on the championship course conditions. "For me I am usually a rhythm runner and I couldn't get into much of a rhythm today because of the conditions. I couldn't do exactly what I wanted, or execute my plan too well with the conditions, but I did the best I could. Overall it was an amazing experience and I am grateful I got to run in the championship with all of these athletes."
 
The winner of the west region race in Billings on Nov. 22, Henry Cheseto from the University of Alaska Anchorage crossed the tape in 31:15.3 for 23rd place. One place ahead of him was Johnny Sanchez from Chico State. Sanchez was the top finisher from the west region, pulling ahead of Cheseto in the final few meters, completing the race in 31:12.7.
 
Alaska Anchorage was the top team finisher from the west region. The Seawolves ended up in sixth place with 196 points. Western Washington was 13th with 332 points, Chico State in 14th with 371 points, Cal Poly Pomona 16th with 426, Simon Fraser in 20th with 592, and Cal Baptist finished in the 24th spot with 655 points.
 
Besides Peterson, the individual qualifiers from the west region Valentin Pepiot from Academy of Art was 70th, running the race in 32:06.6, while Tanner Collins from UC San Diego completed the race in 32:12.2 for 78th place overall.
 
Peterson is the first runner from Montana State University Billings to qualify for the NCAA Division II national cross country championships. The Billings native, a graduate of Skyview High School, has one more year of eligibility left to run cross country at MSUB. Next up for Peterson is the indoor and outdoor track and field season.
 
"It was really fun running with everyone out there, and it was such a good experience," Peterson said. "I made a lot of friends before the race and saw a lot of the athletes in town for the D2 Festival. I am really appreciative to have been here, but I am also looking forward to track and field season next and then coming back to compete in cross country next season."
 
Peterson is the defending Great Northwest Athletic Conference indoor 1500m champion, and the outdoor men's 1500m runner-up. The MSU Billings track and field season starts this Saturday in Spearfish, S.D., at the Yellow Jacket Winter Classic hosted by Black Hills State University.
 
"He finished in the top 100, which I thought was a pretty good day against some of the best runners in the country," Coach Coppock said. "I am real proud of the way he ran today, and pushed himself in those conditions. Although it was a tough day out there, I know he did the best he could and overall finishing in the top 100 runners is a great result."