Terre Haute, IN - In chilly and muddy conditions, Kaelen Ruder represented the Southern Virginia University men's cross country team at the NCAA Championships and ran admirably. Against one of the deepest fields ever, he finished just outside of the top 200 individuals in the country, crossing the line in a time of 26:04.

Ruder established solid positioning from the beginning of the race and ran very consistently in difficult conditions. He was the first finisher from the USA South and finished ahead of several competitors he faced in the South Regional last weekend.

Competing in the National Championship meet culminated a year full of pleasant surprises and successes for Ruder and the rest of the cross country team. Over the last five years, the Knights have become a consistent presence on the national stage, having had seven qualifiers for the big meet between cross country and track and field.

While it was a great season for the program, they'll soon shift their focus to the Indoor Track & Field season that begins competition in early December.

For the most up-to-date information and details on the team, visit knightathletics.com and follow @knightxctf on Instagram.