TMU Senior Jack Anderson won the NAIA XC Championships with a time of 24:15, with the men’s squad finishing second overall Friday in Tallahassee, Fla.

Anderson, who had finished fourth last year, was the first Mustang runner to win a cross country national title since John Gilbertson in 2012. Over the course of the 8000m race, Anderson barely took the lead, until the final 100m when he surged in front of Southern Oregon’s Mason Wiesgerber to win by just two seconds.

“It was the best race of my life,” Anderson said. “Not just because I won, but because of what the Lord was able to do. I’m so grateful to the Lord to be able to glorify Him through the best sport ever: running.”

True freshman Brogan Collins was right on Anderson’s heels, finishing sixth in 24:35, giving the Mustangs two important low sticks. Junior Isaiah Fastrup also earned his first All-American award, with a 38th-place effort with a mark of 25:11.

Emmanuel De Leon was TMU’s fourth scorer with a key 46th-place finish to keep TMU’s team battle with Indiana Wesleyan close. But The Master’s was boosted by a clutch performance from senior Tim Anderson, who placed 58th overall as the team’s fifth runner. In his first cross country nationals of his career, Tim Anderson started the first 1000m in just 223rd place, and moved up over 180 spots across the whole 8000m race, unheard of in collegiate cross country, much less the national championships.

TMU senior Jack Anderson crosses the finish line in Tallahassee, Florida, on Friday. Courtesy Photo

“At the mile mark, I emerged out of this straight and I see around 200 people in front of me, and my mind was blown,” Tim Anderson said. “But I just had to stay locked in and keep calm and move up. Praise the Lord for the result today, it was unbelievable.”

Hunter Roy (26:31) finished in 182nd place and Bauer Hollman (26:55) in 226th place. Friday’s second-place finish was the highest place any TMU men’s XC team has ever placed at nationals.

“Could not be more proud of this group,” TMU head coach Daniel Rush said. “Gutsy races from all across the board. I told them we get to suffer this pain today because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for our sins.”

Despite the cross country season being over, the TMU distance men will be back in action in just over two months, starting their indoor track season on Jan. 31 against Vanguard and Westmont.

Learn more about TMU’s 18 intercollegiate athletic teams, here.