NEW BOSTON, Mich. -- The Wayne State University men's cross country team took the Inaugural Warrior Challenge (8K) title on Saturday.

Eight teams competed in WSU's first invite.  Following the squad's 48-point win was Northwood (75 points) and Purdue Northwest (94 points).

Out of 106 participants, freshman Ethan Byrnes (Plymouth, Mich.) led the Warriors, finishing in sixth place (25:59.3).

Freshman Nico Trevino (Saginaw, Mich. / Heritage) came in ninth with a time of 26:18.4.

Freshman Zac Truman (Utica, Mich. / Eisenhower) crossed the finish line in 12th place (26:26.5).

Sophomore Jack Lacasse (Ann Arbor, Mich. / Tecumseh) and freshman Ulises Rodriguez (Pontiac, Mich. / Oxford) were the next runners from WSU to finish.  Lacasse came in 17th place (26:45.0) and Rodriguez in 18th (26:46.8).

Freshman Tanner Blaney (Swartz Creek, Mich. / Linden) ended the race in 24th with a time of 27:02.3.

Freshman Nick Behring (Washington Twp., Mich. / Romeo) had a 28th-place finish (27:14.5).

Freshman George Drallos (Commerce Twp., Mich. / Lakeland) crossed the finish line in 32nd place (27:21.4).

Senior Alex Krasuski (Milford, Mich.) and freshman Zahid Salodawala (Romeoville, Ill. / Plainfield East) finished seconds apart.  Krasuski came in 36th with a time of 27:27.0 and Salodawala in 38th (27:31.7).

WSU had an additional six runners place in the top 90.

**due to scoring discrepancies, these results are considered unofficial

FROM COACH LOFDAHL
"The men got a very gritty win over a solid Northwood squad.  It was a grind, and our guys moved up a lot in the second half of the race which was our plan going in.  Ethan continues to be our consistent leader on the course, with Nico and Zac close behind.  I was impressed with the toughness shown by Jack and Ulises as well.

Overall, it was a good day, despite some logistical challenges in the morning.  We achieved some goals today (hosting a successful meet, getting a victory on both sides), but the championship meets are coming up now and that's what really counts.  I can't wait to see how these young men's and women's groups respond to the challenge of championship racing."

UP NEXT
The Warriors will compete at the GLIAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 3, in Grand Rapids.