Joplin, MO – Bob Jones University made it 11 straight NCCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country National Championships after finishing the men’s 8,000-meter with a team score of 76 points at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course in Joplin, Missouri. The Bruins have stood at the top of the podium since 2016, recording a 2026 team time of 2:16:58. 

Crown College continues to improve each year, finishing just 13 points behind Bob Jones with a team time of 2:17:33 to take second place overall. Spurgeon College earned bronze for the first time in program history with 108 team points and a 2:20:28 team time. 

Highlights:

• Bob Jones saw the tightest team finish they have seen in a while, winning the team title by 13 points. Jacob Doshier led the Bruins with a National Runner-Up time of 25:27.3. Eoin Flynn was the second fastest Bob Jones athlete, finishing just outside the top 10 All-American spots with an 11^th place finish of 27:18.8. 
• Junior Andrew Deedon of Crown sat in second for the first four miles of action, but with a great final kick was able to cross the finish line first to earn the individual National Championship. Deedon finished with an 8,000-meter time of 25:06.2.
• Theo and Aidan Thurber, brothers who run for Trinity Bible College, finished 10 seconds apart from one another to take fifth and sixth respectively. Theo earns All-American honors for the second time in his career, while Aidan hits the podium for the first time in his career. 
• NCCAA Game Plan 4 LIFE Elvin and Joyce King winner Patrick De Ronde of Spurgeon College earned All-American honors for the first time in his career with an eighth-place finish and time of 27:01.1.
• Joel Batres-Mena of Bob Jones was the deciding factor in the Bruins 11^th straight title, as he was the fifth Bruin to cross the line for 26 team points. The mark was 17 points faster than Crown’s fifth runner, ultimately giving Bob Jones the edge for the team title. 

Results from the NCCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country 8,000-meter can be found here. All-Americans and all other award winners are listed here.

About the NCCAA
Established in 1968, the National Christian College Athletic Association uses intercollegiate athletics to further the Great Commission and is committed to equipping student-athletes and coaches to make a positive impact for Christ. The NCCAA currently holds 24 national championship events for 86 member schools across 28 states and Ontario, Canada. For more information on the NCCAA, visit our website, thenccaa.org, and follow us on Facebook, Twitter/X, and Instagram at @thenccaa.