JOPLIN, MO. – The East Central University men's cross country team finished 16th at the 2015 NCAA National Championship at the Missouri Southern State Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course on a cold and windy morning.

2015 NCAA Men's Cross Country National Championship Results

Senior Juan-Joel Paeheco Orozco was the top finisher for the Tigers, finishing the 10K course in 30:47.4 for 55^th.  Fellow senior Will Baldwin as in 60^th in 30:53.9.

Junior Bruce Bragg was next in 87^th (31:15.6), junior Richard Mora was 99^th (31.23.3), freshman Cole Montgomery was 191^st (32:40.1), freshman Larry Filer was 227^th (33:18.2) and junior Adrian Guevara was 236^th (33:38.4).
This is the first time that the Tigers have advanced to the NCAA National Championship since 2011, when they finished 11^th as a team. 

Paeheco Orozco made his second-straight trip to the National Championship, after qualifying as an individual in 2014.  In the 2014 race, Paeheco Orozco finished 50^th.