While the Montreat Cavaliers' men's cross-country team placed a solid fifth at the AAC Cross-Country Championships, to view their season through that result would greatly underestimate the caliber and talent of the team. 

In the race in Canton, Georgia on November 4, the Cavs ran through injury and saw Rylan Hincher (JR/North Wilkesboro, NC) (JR/North Wilkesboro, NC) place 10th overall to lead the pack of Cavaliers. Caleb Silver (FR/Smithfield, NC) was next in behind him, with Daniel Lancaster (SR/Wilmington, NC) behind Silver. Brien Lancaster (SR/Wilmington, NC) finished next and Jacob Parker (SO/Elkin, NC) (SO/Elkin, NC) closed out the top five finishers for the Cavs. Brien, typically the frontrunner for Montreat, was slowed by a hip injury.

Rounding out the Montreat finishers were Holden Dixon (JR/Chocowinity, NC), Brandon Welborn (SR/Traphill, NC), Elijah Mitchell (JR/Milledgeville, GA), Daniel Newcomb (JR/Candler, NC), Lee Wooden (JR/Rock Hill, SC), Chase Blackwell (SO/Linden, NC), and Daniel Galagarza (FR/Woodstock, GA).

The honors for the Cavs rolled in shortly after the race closed out. Competitively, Hincher's effort earned him a spot on the All-AAC second team, while Caleb Silver earned a place on the league's All-Freshman team.

Brien Lancaster, a team captain, earned a well-deserved spot on the NAIA's Champions of Character team. Along with women's cross-country team captain Alona Kosenko, Lancaster organized the program's partnership with the Black Mountain Home for Children. Lancaster and Kosenko attend weekly meetings to serve as liaisons between the team and the Home. The two also coordinated the team's involvement with the Home's Fall Festival.

Again along with Kosenko, Lancaster helps lead the Montreat's "A-team" meetings which are weekly small group gatherings of 5-7 team members. "They meet up to fellowship, talk about life, pray and grow closer together," said head coach Jason Lewkowicz in describing the effort of the two seniors "Brien and Alona were instrumental in the development of these groups last spring and are dedicated to organizing and planning meetings for their groups each week."

During the season, Brien was a winner of the AAC's Runner of the Week award, was the overall winner of the Cavaliers' Hyder-McMahill Invite, and finished second in the UNC-Asheville Invitational. In that race, Lancaster finished ahead of five NCAA Division I teams in their entirety. He also placed well in the Greater Louisville Classic, Queen's University XC Invitational, and USCB Sand Shark Invitational. Typically, the fleet-footed Hincher finished in close proximity to the senior and was next in for Montreat. 

The team placed many members on the AAC's All-Academic team as well. They included Samuel Hale (JR/Charlotte, NC), Eli Hall (JR/Columbus, NC), Hincher, Brien Lancaster, Daniel Lancaster, Newcomb, Parker, and Welborn.

Many of the squad will now turn their considerable talents to the indoor track season, followed by next spring's outdoor season.

AAC Championships Full Results

Full list of AAC Men's XC Awards

Pictured: The Cavaliers huddle after the USCB Sandshark Invitational. 

Photo: Montreat XC