JOPLIN, Mo. – Benedict College junior men's cross country runner Dessie Demlew finished 78^th overall at the 2015 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship on Saturday at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course on the campus of Missouri Southern State University.

Demlew completed the 10K course in a time of 31:07.40 in the field of 246 runners. His time was a school record and a career best.

He was in 32^nd place after the first two kilometers, and dropped to 40^th at the halfway point. At the 6.87 kilometer marker, Demlew was in 58^th place.

Demlew was making his second straight appearance in the national championship race. He finished 55^th in last year's race.