The College of Wooster cross country program saved its best results for the season finale, as eight of the Fighting Scots' 13 competitors logged collegiate bests in Saturday's NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Regional Championships, which took place at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

Wooster was led by first-year standout Lauren Acker, who crossed less than 10 seconds behind the final all-region placer. Acker placed 44th with a collegiate-best time of 23:16.03, bettering the 23:20.7 from the Otterbein University meet, which earned the first-year North Coast Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week status.

Senior Amy Gabrovsek and junior Elise Wheeler were next, turning in better times than their NCAC showings from two weeks ago. Gabrovsek, who was 122nd at 24:52.99, was nearly 40 seconds better than the 25:30.6 from conference. Wheeler was a touch better than her 26:20.2, crossing at 26:07.40 in Louisville, which was the 181st-place time in the field.

Sophomore Eilidh Horn went 27:15.28 for 218th, to rank as Wooster's No. 4 harrier on the day. Sylvia Direnzo's senior year was capped off with the 231st-place time of 28:07.37, which marked a collegiate best by about 23 seconds.

Junior Ellie Fox, a jumper on the track and field team who joined the cross country team for the first time this fall, went 32:46.38 to round out the Scots' entries on the women's side. It was just the third championship-length collegiate start for Fox, who competed in four meets overall.

Senior Joe Ahmann led Wooster's men, placing 75th with a time of 26:32.36. That marked a collegiate No. 1 by 16 seconds for Ahmann in his final collegiate cross country meet. He was joined in the field's top 100 by classmate Zane DeMercurio, who took 91st at 26:42.48. DeMercurio was a touch faster than the 26:44.6 logged at conference two Saturdays ago.

Sophomore Basil Keck was a whisker faster than two Saturdays ago, as his 27:45.92 was less than a second better than the prior collegiate best from conference. Keck placed 154th. Right behind was sophomore Grant Mentzer, who rounded out the collegiate bests with a 27:47.36. Mentzer was 157th in the field.

Junior Nick Schade (203rd, 28:53.35), senior Charlie Cuttino (218th, 29:08.00), and senior Jack Schuller (241st, 30:07.88) rounded out the Scots' competitors.

Wooster's men placed 26th, while the women were 27th. Hope College led the 37-team men's field. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Sam Rinker took the individual title at 24:51.27. Trine University led the 37 women's teams. Calvin University's Sophie Bull won individual honors with a time of 21:40.85.