The Illinois Springfield men's cross country team finished second at the GLVC Championships on Saturday, scoring 79 points behind a strong collective effort led by senior Brock Loftus.

Loftus stayed in the top 10 for the entirety of the race, holding steady against a competitive field before closing hard to finish eighth in 24:30 — the fifth-fastest 8K time in program history. Behind him, the Prairie Stars' tight pack held firm through the middle of the race, working together to fend off a long line of GLVC challengers. Sophomore Colin Graham crossed next in 13th at 24:41, followed by Joey Karlesky in 16th at 24:54 to earn All-GLVC honors for the second straight year. Matt Padilla placed 19th in 25:04, and Noah Tegeler rounded out the scoring five in 23rd at 25:12.

Additional contributors included Owen Whelan in 24th (25:16) and Charlie Borlin, a freshman, in 34th (25:33), underscoring the depth that has been a hallmark of the Prairie Stars this season. The UIS top-five spread was just under 42 seconds as the program extended its streak of top-three team finishes at the GLVC Championships to eight consecutive years.

Loftus, Graham, Karlesky, and Padilla earned All-GLVC honors, awarded to the top 20 finishers. This marks the fourth time in eight years that UIS has finished second at the conference meet.

"The team ran exactly how they needed to be successful today," said head coach Emmons King. "We're a fantastic pack-running team, and they really used that to their advantage. Brock Loftus ran a huge race to lead the Stars back to second place, and we saw great performances from freshmen Charlie Borlin and River Derby, who both had big personal bests and will be key to the future of this program. I'm extremely proud of how this team competed."

The Prairie Stars will now turn their focus to the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional Championships at the Wayne E. Dannehl National Cross Country Course in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Nov. 8.