SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Bates men's cross country juniors Nathaniel Aronson and Jack Crum represented the Bobcats at the NCAA Championships on Saturday, placing 105th and 216th respectively out of 291 competitors at Roger Milliken Center. 

Aronson (West Hartford, Conn.) raced to the finish of the 8-kilometer course in 25:22.2 while Crum (Bristol, Vt.) checked in with a time of 26:08.0. Emmanuel Leblond of Johns Hopkins won the race in 23:35.0 while the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse won the team national championship.

This marked the first NCAA Championships for both Aronson and Crum. Both runners qualified on the strength of their performances at the New England East Regional Championships where they earned USTFCCCA All-East Region and DIII New England Association All-New England honors.

This marks the seventh straight year that Bates men's cross country has had representation at the NCAA Championships. The Bobcats now turn their attention to track and field season, which begins Dec. 6 with meets at Bowdoin and Boston University.