Allison Kuzma racing at 2025 Hillsdale Invitational
Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department
The Hillsdale men’s and women’s cross country teams competed at the Siena Heights Tune Up meet Sept. 26 with the men’s team taking fifth place and the women taking seventh place.
The Chargers ran only a partial squad, and challenging conditions included full sun and high temperatures.
“It was really hot, so the sun was beating down,” senior Emil Schlueter said. “But given the heat and given the time of the season, I was happy with how it went. The goal for this race was to have the older more experienced runners pull the younger and less experienced runners to faster times.”
Schlueter led the Charger men placing 25th with a time of 26:53.7 over a distance of 8k. He was followed by three freshmen in quick succession with Jefferson Regitz taking 26th in 26:53.9, John Richardson finishing 27th in 26:54.2, and Henry Thuet placing 30th in 26:55.0. The final scoring runner for the Chargers was sophomore Daniel Johnson who placed 37th in 27:02.4.
Head coach R.P. White said he was pleased with the men’s team’s performance and teamwork.
“They did a tremendous job executing the front portion of the race and keeping themselves in control,” White said. “For some of the top guys that were racing, they were just there to do one thing and one thing only: serve the other guys around them. We had a really good showing.”
On the women’s side, sophomore Victoria Stonebraker ran a personal best in the 6k, finishing in 24:38.3 and placing 24th. Freshman Caroline Roberts took 27th in 24:48.0 with freshman Mavis Banks taking 38th in 25:08.0 and Taylor Klimp taking 40th in 25:16.8. Junior Megan Roberts rounded out the scoring runners crossing the line in 25:45.6 to earn 46th place.
The Siena Heights Tune Up was a particularly important meet for junior Emilie Santoso because she completed her first race of the season after taking a hiatus from competition due to health issues.
Santoso recounted how in previous races and past seasons she has struggled with fear and disappointment.
“I was stepping into every race wondering, am I even gonna finish,” Santoso said. “It’s just debilitating.”
However, something about this race felt different to Santoso, she said.
“Coach made it clear that the whole point of this race was that we were running for each other,” Santoso said. “I would not have mentally gotten through that race if it wasn’t for the team. They are just my pillars and my rocks to be able to keep doing this.”
White said he was proud of how Santoso performed
“To see Emilie cross the finish line strong was just something that makes your heart feel good after seeing some of the struggles that she’s had,” White said.
Santoso said she was inspired by the support she received from her team.
“During that last stretch I was just thinking, I have so many people who want me to succeed,” Santoso said. “So I told myself, I’m just gonna do it. I’m just gonna run,” Santoso said. “Talk about running for something greater than yourself: running for your team.”
The Chargers will race again at the Louisville Classic Oct. 4 as they continue to prepare for championship meets just around the corner.
