Charger men’s cross country poses with their trophy. Courtesy | Hillsdale College Athletic Department
The men’s cross country team won its first-ever title in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference on Oct. 26 as the team hosted the championship meet at Hayden Park.
The women’s team placed third, with freshmen Evyn Humphrey and Allison Kuzma finishing first and second in the six kilometer race, respectively. Humphrey earned G-MAC Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors for her performance this season, while Kuzma received runner-up honors.
Halfway through the men’s race, the Chargers were trailing the favored winner University of Findlay by 22 points. During the final four kilometers of the meet, the top five Hillsdale men overcame the deficit to win the meet by 10 points.
Senior Richie Johnston led the Charger men in the eight-kilometer race and finished in fourth place overall with a personal best time of 24:57, breaking the 25-minute mark for the first time. Junior Gabe Phillips finished seventh overall, and senior Ross Kuhn came in just behind Phillips in eighth place, with both Phillips and Kuhn also marking personal best times. All three finishers received first-team All-G-MAC honors for their performances.
Hillsdale men’s fourth and fifth finishers, who overcame 21 opposing racers combined during the second half of the meet, propelled their team to first place. Sophomore Caleb Youngstedt finished in 14th place and junior Nathaniel Osborne in 16th place, both recording more than 30 seconds of improvement on their personal best times. Youngstedt and Osborne were awarded second-team All-G-MAC honors for their accomplishments during the race. According to Kuhn, the team was in high spirits leading up to the race.
“Before the race, I was very calm and dancing to the music, just having fun,” Kuhn said. “During the race, I just thought about getting into the top 10 and getting through the first six kilometers as easily as possible and then pushing hard to the finish.”
Despite predictions by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association that placed Hillsdale third behind The University of Findlay and Walsh University, Kuhn said the team anticipated the win.
“This was a great win for the team, but one that we honestly expected,” Kuhn said. “Even if the rankings did not agree, we knew we were the best team coming into this race.”
This win marks not only the first conference win in 24 years, but the first win since entering the G-MAC. Coach R.P. White was recognized by the G-MAC and awarded the Coach of the Year for his dedication to Charger cross country. This is the first time a Hillsdale cross country coach has received this title since coach Bill Lundberg was recognized in 2000 with his conference champion team.
The women’s team placed third overall, as predicted, behind Walsh University and Cedarville University.
Following freshmen Humphrey and Kuzma in first and second, sophomore Savannah Fraley finished in 17th and earned second-team All-G-MAC honors for the second straight season. Sophomore Eleanor Clark placed 32nd overall, and senior Kayla Loescher took 42nd.
Both Humphrey and Kuzma said they were nervous before their first collegiate conference, but they felt strong during the race.
“I knew there was going to be a lot of competition from Cedarville and that the race was going to be hard,” Humphrey said. “During the race, I felt controlled for the first four kilometers, and by the time I had taken the lead position, I felt tired but pushed through to the finish.”
Kuzma said she appreciated the fans who spurred her on in her final push.
“Toward the end of the race, I started to feel tired, but all the support on the course from the track team and families helped push me to give everything I had and secure second place,” Kuzma said.
The men’s and women’s teams will compete next at the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Nov. 9 at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois for a chance to qualify for the national meet.