Valparaiso University Cross Country Teams Compete at Notre Dame’s Joe Piane Invite
Valparaiso University’s cross country teams delivered strong performances at the Joe Piane Invite held at Notre Dame on Friday, showcasing impressive individual and team efforts in a competitive atmosphere.
Men’s Race Highlights
In the men’s 8k gold race, junior Karson Hollander from Crystal Lake, Illinois, secured a remarkable second place among 167 competitors. Hollander finished with a time of 24:21.7, significantly improving his personal best from 24:47.5 set just the previous week. His performance elevated him to second place in Valparaiso’s program history, surpassing Evan Walda’s 24:22.9 recorded at the 2023 Bradley Pink Classic.
Hollander trailed only Green Bay’s Noah Jahnke, who won the event with a time of 23:58.5. Senior Joseph Scheele, hailing from Mahomet, Illinois, was the second Valpo runner to cross the finish line, clocking 25:43.2. Redshirt junior Alex Valerio from Rockford, Illinois, rounded out the top three for Valpo with a time of 26:02.2.
Women’s Race Performance
In the women’s 5k gold race, freshman Samantha Rowley from Barrington, Illinois, was the top finisher for the Beacons, achieving a time of 18:26.1 and earning 39th place among a field of 171. Rowley’s effort marked an improvement over her previous performance at the Winrow Open.
Sophomore Kensington Black from Franklin, Ohio, followed closely, finishing in 18:40.7, which secured her 54th place and surpassed her best time from the previous season. Additionally, redshirt sophomore Laetitia Raoult from Guingamp, France, completed the team’s trio with a time of 18:43.5.
Collectively, the Valpo women finished 16th out of 22 teams with a total score of 417, while the men’s team placed 15th among 21 teams with a score of 362.
Looking Ahead
The Valparaiso Beacons will prepare for their next competition, the Bradley Pink Classic, scheduled for October 17 in Peoria, Illinois. This meet will serve as the final race before the conference championships.
