Webster University ended its season in style with its best finish in school history at the NCAA Division III men's cross country regional championships.
 
The Gorloks placed 22nd among 38 teams in the meet conducted in Winneconne, WI. That bested Webster's previous high of 30th place, set at the 2012 NCAA regional meet.
 
Among the Gorloks' seven entrants, three recorded season personal-best times while three others came within three seconds of their season-best times. The Gorloks also attained season-best times by its No. 2, 3, 4 and 5 finishers.
 
Webster set a season best by averaging 27 minutes and 12 seconds among its top five runners, faster than its previous best of 27:28 at the conference championships two weeks ago. Webster's split between its No. 1 and 5 runners was one minute and 15 seconds, a second shy of its season best recorded at the conference championships two weeks ago.
 
For the first time this season, David Lambus (JR, St. Louis, MO / University City) was Webster's top runner, crossing the finish line at 26 minutes and 28 seconds for the 8,000-meter course on a day with freezing temperatures. He placed 101st out of 265 competitors.
 
Lambus' time is the seventh fastest in school history for any 8k race, and the second fastest in an NCAA championship meet. The latter record belongs to Ethan Jeffries with his 25:04 at last year's regionals.
 
Lambus completed a season in which he gradually rehabilitated a leg injury before making his Webster debut Oct. 11 when he was the team's No. 9 finisher. His second meet was the conference championships Nov. 1 when he was the team's No. 2 finisher. In a span of about a month, he improved his time by almost three minutes.
 
Jason Hickson (SR, Hillsboro, MO / Hillsboro HS), in his career finale, placed 106th with a time of 26:38, third-fastest ever by a Gorlok at an NCAA championship race. Starting with his time of 28:24 at the NCAA regionals as a freshman, Hickson improved his time each year, dropping down to 27:12 as sophomore and 27:01 as a junior.
 
Hickson ends up as the school record-holder for career wins (3,388), far ahead of Jeffries (2.028). Hickson owns the second-best career winning percentage (.679) in Webster record book, behind Jeffries (.739).
 
For the season, Hickson had a won-loss record of 772-142, good for an .845 win percentage. That win percentage is second best ever by a Gorlok, behind Jeffries who had a .924 percentage in 2013. Hickson's 772 wins is seventh highest in a season by a Webster runner. He holds three of the top seven spots in that category, including a school-record 1,186 wins in 2012. [Webster entered nine meets in 2012, compared to seven in 2014.]
 
Riley Flynn (FR, O'Fallon, MO / Ft. Zumwalt North) was the team's No. 3 finisher, matching his best showing within the team this season. He also was Webster's No. 3 finisher in its Sept. 6 meet at Hanover (IN).  Flynn placed 158th with a season-best time of 27:31, the 10th-fastest in Webster record book for an NCAA championship meet, and the second-fastest by a freshman at an NCAA meet.
 
Chaise Blakley (FR, Geneseo, IL / Geneseo) was 171st with a personal best at 27:40, the 11th-fastest in Webster record book for an NCAA championship meet, and the third-fastest by a freshman at an NCAA meet
 
Greg Fletcher (SR, St. Charles, MO / Francis Howell) was 175th at 27:43, missing his season best by three seconds. His time goes into the school record book as the 12th fastest by any Gorlok at an NCAA championship. He ends with 1,266 career wins, placing him sixth on the school's all-time list.
 
Evan Stovall (FR, Ballwin, MO / Parkway South) was 178th at 27:50, missing his season best by two seconds. His time is the 14th fastest ever recorded by Webster runner, and fifth by a freshman, at an NCAA championship meet.
 
Charles Whitehead (JR, Carthage, MO / Carthage) was 215th at 28:44, rounding out the team's seven-man lineup. He stands in eighth place on Webster's all-time list with 1,186 career wins.
 
Of the seven runners, five are eligible to return next season, while Hickson and Fletcher are scheduled to graduate next year. In all, Webster could return 13 of its 15 runners from this season, including 11 freshmen.
 
Webster established a milestone with its second-place finish, highest ever, at the conference championships this season.