TULSA, Okla. – The Wichita State men's and women's cross country teams landed six athletes on the all-conference list, claiming a second-place men's team finish and a fifth-place finish for the women Friday at the American Athletic Conference Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
 
Clayton Duchatschek and Abeba Sullivan both led their teams, placing fifth individually.
 
"It feels pretty great to be in the top five," Sullivan said. "I did pretty well going out and staying with the pack in the front. I've been building my confidence to do that, so to show that at this meet is huge. Just knowing that I could be out there at the front and push, it feels nice."
 
Duchatschek's top-five finish marks the Shocker men's highest-ever AAC individual finish and the best finish in any conference meet since Mickael Colin finished third at the Missouri Valley Conference Championship in 2002.
 
"It's the best in my career," head coach Kirk Hunter said. "To get fifth in this meet with a group of people like this is phenomenal, and he had to do that by moving up and battling every step of the way, so hats off to him and what he did today."
 
Duchatschek stuck with the strategy that led him to a school record-breaking performance just two weeks ago.
 
"I just had to stick my nose in it and follow the pace," Duchatschek said. "It started out a little bit slow, but I was ready for it. I wanted to push the pace, but it worked for me at Bradley to stick in there and go with the leaders, so that's what I did this time. I just kept picking people off and tried to hold it."
 
Junior transfer Adrian Diaz-Lopez wasn't far behind, placing ninth to earn all-conference honors in his AAC Championship debut, followed by Ben Flowers in 12^th and Trey Rios in 14^th. Flowers earned his second all-conference award, and Rios claimed his first, giving the Shocker men four all-conference performances for the second-straight year.
 
"They were just moving up left and right," Hunter said. "It took a group effort to do that."
 
Bryce Merriman gutted out a 26^th-place finish while not at 100% to round out Wichita State's top five.
 
"Bryce was having some health issues, so he was struggling, but he knew that his place could be the difference in us getting second or third, and he battled through, so I'm extremely proud of that guy," Hunter said. "To do what he just did, people don't have a clue what he just went through, and he made it through."
 
The men totaled 65 points to hold off Cincinnati (84 pts) for second place, matching their highest AAC team finish from last season, while the No. 7 nationally-ranked Tulsa men took the crown for the ninth-straight year with just 29 points.
"The biggest part of that race was the way the guys moved up over the last 2K," Hunter said. "We were only 10 points ahead of Cincinnati at 4K and 6K, but over the last 2K, they really made some big moves. I'm really proud of the way the guys competed today because that's a really good Cincinnati team."
 
In the women's race, Sarah Bertry (13^th) and Miranda Dick (17^th) joined Sullivan in the top 20, with Bertry earning all-conference recognition in her AAC Championship debut.
 
"Sarah and Miranda, in my estimation, were ranked in the 20s, so they really stepped up today," Hunter said. "[For Sarah,] coming from a community college, first time here, to make all-conference, that is an amazing race she just ran."
 
Jenna Muma and Lubna Aldulaimi rounded out the scorers for the Shockers, finishing together to place 45^th and 46^th, respectively.
 
"Lubna, Jenna and Lea Brueckner were back there just battling every step of the way, and they took it all the way to the finish line," Hunter said. "They knew that it might be a little bit of a difference for the team, and so I'm proud of them also. I think they did a wonderful job."
 
The women finished with 126 points to move up a spot from last year's results and take fifth, while the Tulsa women gave the Golden Hurricane their fourth-straight sweep.
 
"When my kids are out there battling, that's all I ever ask, and if they do that, they've done their part, so I'm proud of both the men and women," Hunter said.
 
Wichita State will have a weekend off before heading to Columbia, Missouri for the NCAA Midwest Regional Friday, Nov. 11.

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Men's Results

5	Clayton Duchatschek*	24:08.4
9	Adrian Diaz-Lopez*	24:12.8
12	Ben Flowers*	24:24.3
14	Trey Rios*	24:27.1
26	Bryce Merriman	24:57.5
33	Jacob Meyers	25:20.8
36	Jackson Caldwell	25:25.0
37	Erik Enriquez	25:28.9
56	Cesar Ramirez	26:14.1

Women's Results

5	Abeba Sullivan*	21:02.1
13	Sarah Bertry*	21:35.2
17	Miranda Dick	21:43.0
45	Jenna Muma	22:43.7
46	Lubna Aldulaimi	22:43.9
57	Lea Brueckner	23:00.5
75	Lea Jerkovic	23:39.4
76	Peyton Pogge	23:45.6
81	Amanda Treptow	24:03.2

*All-Conference