(EAST LANSING, Mich.) - The Wilmington College Men's Cross Country Team is set to take the course for the final time, barring an unexpected advancement to the national meet, at the Great Lakes Regional Championships in East Lansing, Michigan tomorrow. They will be looking for a strong finish to what has been a breakout season for several members of the team.
 
There were many lingering doubts about the Quakers prospects entering the season given the losses of All-Region seniors Tate Yoder and Gabe Moore. However, the young squad has adequately quelled any doubts with what has been an excellent season from top-to-bottom.
 
The Quakers top runner for the entirety of the season to this point has been freshman Neka Bukasa, who is racing cross country for the first time after competing for the Quakers during Track and Field in the spring. At the Louisville Cross Country Classic on October 3rd, Bukasa became one of Wilmington's Top-25 all-time runners with a time of 26:13. After finishing 33rd at the OAC Championships on October 31, Bukasa will be seeking to take down the 26-minute barrier at the regional meet.
 
The Quakers second through fifth runners have been the strength of their team this season, as oftentimes all four of them have been separated by only a matter of seconds. The group includes sophomore Braydon Buchannan, who put forth a personal best of 26:39 at the OAC Championships and will look to stake his own claim in the Quakers all-time Top-25 on Saturday. Senior Bryson Robinette has dominated his previous personal bests and put together his best cross-country season as a Quaker, which is exemplified by his personal best time of 27:24 at the JennaStrong Fall Classic.
 
Junior Keegan Kidd has perhaps had the biggest breakout of any Quaker this season; he has watched his personal best time fall by over two minutes, all the way down to 27:21, which was good for 69th at the OAC Championships. He, along with sophomore Simeon Williamson, who narrowly missed out on breaking 27 minutes at the OAC Championships (27:00.4), will look to cross that barrier at the regional meet.
 
The sixth and seventh spots for the Quakers will be manned by a pair of freshmen in Samuel Quackenbush, who broke 28 minutes for the first time at the OAC Championships (27:57) and Jake Vance, who owns a personal best 8k time of 28:42 and will look to run in the low 28-minute range at regionals.

The Quakers, despite their youth, have been tenacious throughout the season, overcoming many obstacles and disproving many of their doubters. They will look to improve on last season's 22nd place finish at the Regional Championships, and in the process will hope to launch themselves into what already looks to be a very bright future.