Mitchell, SD – The NAIA announced the 2023 Cross Country Championship qualifiers on Tuesday afternoon and Dakota Wesleyan’s very own Caleb Sayler qualified for his second championship birth in his career. Sayler placed 13th at the GPAC championship last weekend, which earned him All-Conference honors. The Men’s championship race is set for November 17th at 11:30 a.m. Pacific Time in Vancouver, Washington.
Sayler, a junior, has put up strong finishes and times all season, even moving into the fourth fastest 8k time in the DWU record books. In three out of the five 8k races Sayler has raced in this year, he was in the top 15 three times with an average time 26:13.64 per race.
About the Race
The 2023 championship race is set to take place in Vancouver Washington, at the Fort Vancouver National Historic Championship Course on. Caleb finished last year’s championship race with a time of 25:47.3, a time that grabbed the fifth spot in the DWU record books and was a personal best for Caleb. He beat that time twice this year and will look to have a better time at a course with much lower elevation. Vancouver Washington has an average elevation of roughly 200 feet and DWU has been racing on courses that have averaged about 1200 feet above sea level.
Coach Rosado and Caleb’s Thoughts
“The amount of belief Caleb has shown in the plan all year finally paid off. Making his second appearance at the national meet is a testament to his dedication and hard work.” – Head Coach Matt Rosado
“I’d like to start by thanking God for his countless blessing in my life that have enabled me to compete at this level. I also owe a lot of credit to Coach Rosado for keeping me focused on the mission through the ups and downs this season and putting me in the best position to succeed. I also wouldn’t be in this position without the support and help of my amazing teammates! I want to specifically mention Hunter Shanks for helping me push through the tough workouts this season and being by my side for almost every step of training. I have been extremely blessed by the support from the DWU community and there is no place I’d rather call home. Thank you all for making this community a wonderful place. Roll Tigers!” – Caleb Sayler