The UIS men's cross country team posted a strong performance at the Lewis Crossover on Saturday morning, finishing 15th in a competitive field of 37 teams. The Prairie Stars recorded a top-five total time of 2:06:21, averaging 25:16 per runner, reflecting consistency and depth across the lineup.

UIS outperformed nationally ranked No. 28 Biola and remained close to regional competitors including Walsh, Tiffin, and Michigan Tech—teams the Prairie Stars may contend with in November's regional championship.

Leading the team were Matt Padilla (25:09), Colin Graham (25:09), and Joey Karlesky (25:10), finishing together between 71st and 74th place. They were followed closely by Brock Loftus (25:17.87), Owen Whelan (25:35.08), Charlie Borlin (25:42.35), and Noah Tegeler (25:43.01), whose tight pack helped the team post a total of 418 points.

The team's top seven runners remained tightly grouped, with a spread of just 33 seconds, demonstrating solid race strategy in the deep and competitive field. 

"This group ran very tough today against some great competition," said head coach Emmons King. "They wanted redemption after the Lucian Rosa Invite, and they did just that. I'm super proud of the pack running they were able to accomplish. This is really great momentum leading into the conference championships in two weeks."

Up Next
The Prairie Stars will return to the same course for the GLVC Championship on Saturday, Oct. 25.