Men's XC | 11/5/2016 8:12:00 PM

BECKLEY, West Virginia -- Men's cross country finished fifth out of 11 teams at the 2016 River States Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday hosted by WVU Tech at The Summit Bechtel Reserve near Beckley, W.Va. NAIA individual qualification was also at stake with the top four individuals not from the team champion advancing to the national meet.

Junior Douglas Negrete led the way for the Golden Bears with a fourth place finish out of 83 competitors with a time of 26:58.3. Negrete advanced to the national meet and earned a spot on the all-conference first team with his effort Saturday.

Also competing for the Golden Bears included freshmen Robert Jones (19, 28:54.8) and Isaiah Maddix (29:00.4), sophomore Jesse Griesheimer (23, 29:00.4) and freshmen Nicolas Binfield (29, 29:14.9), CJ Persinger (33, 29:43.5) and Luke Jobson (30:40.9).

The NAIA individual qualifiers in men's cross country were Negrete, Salvador Campos (IU East), Caleb Woodard (Asbury) and Blake Brooks (IU East). 

The top 14 finishers the men's race was declared the RSC Men's Cross Country All-Conference Team. The first seven finishers were the RSC First Team and the next seven finishers the RSC Second Team. 

The RSC Men's Cross Country Champions of Character Teams were also selected with one individual from each team chosen as the one who best exhibits the five core character values of the NAIA's Champions of Character program of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.

For the complete lists of RSC Men's Cross Country All-Conference Teams and RSC Men's Champions of Character Teams, scroll down this page. 

Note: Ohio Christian and Alice Lloyd undeclared from NAIA cross country meaning those schools were not eligible to advance to nationals as a team or individuals. But they competed within the RSC championship and were eligible for team and individual championship and honors, such as all-conference.

2016 RSC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

First Team
1. Dallas Guy (RIO) Sr.
2. Blake Freed (RIO) Sr.
3. Kameron Carpenter (RIO) So.
4. Douglas Negrete (WVUT) Jr.
5. Kyle Sanborn (RIO) Sr.
6. Salvador Campos (IUE) Fr.
7. Dustin Moritz (RIO) Sr.
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Second Team
8. Kyle Benecke (OCU) So.
9. Mike Morris (RIO) So.
10. Caleb Woodward (AU) Sr.
11. Blake Brooks (IUE) So.
12. Sam Starnes (AU) So.
13. Cole Dudley (IUE) So.
14. Canaan Jonathan Gardner (OCU) Fr.

2016 RSC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER TEAM
John Driskill – Alice Lloyd
Caleb Woodward – Asbury
Kyle Robinson – Brescia
Christopher Woodley – Carlow
Michael Hartman – Cincinnati Christian
Salvardor Campos – IU East
Tyler Lucas – IU Kokomo
Brock Shick – Ohio Christian
Bradley Calleja – Point Park
River Spicer – Rio Grande
Douglas Negrete – WVU Tech