Northwest Wayne News

For the first time in two decades, a Wayne State University men's cross country runner has claimed victory at the GLIAC Championships. Ransom Allen from Ithaca, Michigan, secured the top spot in an eight-kilometer race held at the Michigan Tech Trails. Allen's win marks him as the first men's GLIAC Runner of the Year for WSU since Nick Allen achieved this honor nearly 20 years ago.

Allen completed the race just one second ahead of Caleb Futter from Grand Valley State, clocking a time of 24:19.00 compared to Futter's 24:20.00. This victory is Allen's third win of the cross country season, adding to his previous successes at the Warrior Challenge and Roy Griak Invitational.

Coach Lofdahl expressed pride in his team's performance despite not achieving their ultimate goal. "The final result was not what we had aimed for all season by a long shot, but the efforts of our men today were outstanding," he stated. He also praised Allen's historic season and noted that there is more potential to be realized as they prepare for upcoming meets.

Wayne State finished third among nine schools competing on Saturday, following Grand Valley State and Saginaw Valley State. The Lakers entered as Division II's top-ranked team according to USTFCCCA.

In addition to Allen, Tyler Buchanan and Zac Truman were recognized as All-GLIAC members this season. Buchanan and Truman earned Second Team All-GLIAC honors with their respective finishes in 15th and 16th place.

Several Wayne State runners made their debut at this year's championships including Seth Pianga who finished 31st overall. Other participants included Brady Heron, Aidan Lobsinger, Jared Platt, Kenny Minto, Carson Nicoletti, Jeremy Cavallo, Jack Wallace, and Jack Wilson.

Looking ahead to future competitions, Coach Lofdahl emphasized improvement as a key focus for regionals scheduled on November 4th at Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana.