DETROIT -- The Wayne State University men's and women's cross country squads are set to open the 2025 campaign at the Hillsdale Invitational at Hayden Park in Hillsdale, Mich. on Friday, September 5.
The meet will feature both a women's 5K and a men's 4-mile race. The women's event will begin at 6:00 PM, with the men's race to follow at 6:30 PM.
WSU will be joined by the meet's host, Hillsdale, along with Spring Arbor University. The Chargers are coming off an impressive 2024 campaign, as the men claimed the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC) title, while Allison Kuzma, a now sophomore for the HC women's squad, finished as the individual runner-up in last year's league meet. The SAU men enter 2025 as the No. 6-ranked squad in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) following a Crossroads League Championship in 2024 and the team's third appearance at the NAIA National Championship in the last five years, while the women's squad returns following an eighth-place finish in the CL in 2024.
USTFCCCA RANKING UPDATE
The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) released its preseason regional rankings ahead of the 2025 campaign on Tuesday, September 2. In the Midwest, WSU's women's cross country team is ranked seventh and is joined by four more Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) member institutions.
BELOW IS THE MIDWEST REGIONAL POLL
1. Grand Valley State - GLIAC
2. Lewis - GLVC
3. Cedarville- G-MAC
4. Walsh - G-MAC
5. Parkside - GLIAC
6. Southwest Baptist - GLVC
7. Wayne State - GLIAC
8. Findlay - G-MAC
9. Saginaw Valley State - GLIAC
10. Michigan Tech - GLIAC
FROM HEAD COACH GRANT LOFDAHL:
"We are very excited to get the new season going, and the low-key yet competitive meet at Hillsdale should be an ideal way to open up. Our teams have had a very solid first few weeks of practice, and clearly put in a lot of hard work over the summer. The vibes at practice are excellent, and we're ready to get the rust out on a tough course that will simulate the regional and NCAA championship course very well."
