RIO GRANDE, Ohio – Nick Wilson and Joe Taranto finished second and sixth, respectively, to lead the University of Rio Grande men in the Mid-South Conference Cross Country Championships, Saturday morning, on the URG campus.

Wilson, a senior from Barlow, Ohio, crossed the finish line in a time of 25:31 – seven seconds behind champion Brad Liston of Shawnee State.

Taranto, a junior from Pickerington, Ohio, finished the 8K course in a time of 25:53.

By virtue of their finish, both runners earned first team All-MSC honors and both grabbed a spot in the NAIA National Championship meet, which is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 17, in Fort Vancouver, Washington.

Also competing for Rio Grande was senior Chad McCarty, who placed 21st in the 95-runner field with a time of 27:36; sophomore Dustin Moritz, who took 28th place by finishing in 28:12; freshman Kyle Sanborn, who was 33rd in a time of 28:34; and freshman Caleb Greer, who was 67th with a finish of 32:21.

As a team, the RedStorm finished with 78 points and placed third among the 11 participating schools. Shawnee State won the team title with 29 points and the University of the Cumberlands placed second with 62.

Shawnee State’s team also advances to the NAIA championship meet, as will Lindsey Wilson’s John-Paul Williams and University of the Cumberlands seniors Landon Hamilton and Aundreas Lopez.

Joining Liston, Wilson and Taranto on the All-MSC first team were Williams, Hamilton, Shawnee State’s Adam Schroeder and Shawnee’s Joe Stewart.

The All-MSC second team, comprised of those finishing in spots 8-14, included Jeremy Anderson, Eli Gerlach, Breydon Gates, Derek Ryan and Donovan Wonacott of Shawnee State, as well as Lopez and Donald Whyte of the University of the Cumberlands.