The Grand Valley State University’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams traveled to Romeoville, Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 12 to compete in the Lewis Crossover. During the meet, 20 Lakers set personal bests, and the teams finished all three races in the top 10, concluding their regular season. The Crossover was the ultimate test for runners to show grit and determination for a spot in the postseason championship.
The match had a total of four races– the Men’s 8,000 meter, Women’s 6,000 meter and open races for both men and women, which were limited to 12 runners per roster. Last year, only the GVSU women’s team competed in the Lewis Crossover, where they claimed a second place finish with an overall team score of 98 points. The competition, in its ninth year, is an annual event hosted by Lewis University that features schools from 24 states and over 1,000 student-athletes. The course is a relatively flat terrain with a 10-meter wide path that is run in two loops.
The Laker women placed third in the Women’s 6,000 meter with a total of 157 points. Seven women from the team earned personal bests during the race. GVSU senior Maggie O’Malley returned to the Lewis Crossover as a leader for the University. O’Malley finished in twentieth, accomplishing a new personal best of 21:41.0, which is a 30-second improvement from her previous record.
“My team pushes me every time, whether it’s in workouts or just simple runs,” said O’Malley. “They motivate me more than they will ever know. My coaches also motivate me because they truly believe in the work I have put in and they encourage me to push myself.”
The GVSU men’s squad placed sixth overall in the 8,000 meter with a total of 286 points. Seven GVSU men also earned personal bests during the 8,000 meter. Leading the group was junior Colin Kachlic, finishing in thirty-eigth place with 24:37.0.
In the Men’s Open race, redshirt sophomore Bahózhóni “Baja” Church was highlighted for his collegiate debut by finishing second overall at 25:14.2. Six of the seven Lakers in the Men’s Open ran personal bests as well.
With the regular season completed, senior Patrick Lyell reflected on the success of the men’s team.
“We have so many different backgrounds,” said Lyell. “With so many abilities, knowledge and interest, it feels like I have dozens of brothers. It think that’s why we’re so successful, because we trust each other to help one another in practice or in races, we hold each other accountable, we mentor each other and we just always have someone at our side, no matter what.”
GVSU’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams head to the post-season championship with optimism and a strong foundation. The championship season begins on Saturday, Oct. 26 in Big Rapids for the GLIAC Cross Country Championship hosted by GVSU’s rival, Ferris State University. Only 10 individuals from GVSU are able to race at the event.
