Posted: Oct 25, 2025

Foresters Shine with Trio of Top-10 Finishes at NAIA Great Lakes Challenge

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Huntington men's cross country team turned in a statement performance at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge on Saturday, placing three runners inside the top 10 in the men's White race against a deep field that included nationally ranked No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan that saw HU finish 11th out of 29 teams.

Junior Jaden Kropp led the way for the Foresters with a time of 26:02.3, good for third overall in the 8K. Kropp surged through the final mile to climb from ninth to third, finishing just seconds behind the race winner.

Graduate student Carter VanderMeer followed close behind in fifth place (26:06.4), while sophomore Kaden Vogel clocked 26:12.2 to take eighth overall, rounding out an impressive 1-2-3 punch for the Green and White.

Freshman Benjamin Roberts (28:11.0) rounded out Huntington's scoring with a steady performance in a competitive 250-plus–runner field while Tyler Loucks represented HU's fifth runner with his time of 29:38.80.

Saturday's effort showcased the depth and balance of a Huntington squad continuing to build momentum heading into the postseason. The Foresters were one of only two teams to place three runners inside the top 10.

LOOKING FORWARD
The Foresters return to action on November 8 for the Crossroads League Championships hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University.

The Huntington University Foresters compete in 18 intercollegiate sports for men and women. In the past decade, Huntington has produced 181 NAIA All-America honors and 631 All-America Scholar Athlete honors. Huntington University is a comprehensive Christian college of the liberal arts offering graduate and undergraduate programs in more than 70 academic concentrations. U.S. News & World Report ranks Huntington among the best colleges in the Midwest.