Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University's men's cross country team has been selected to finish fourth in the 2025 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Preseason Coaches Poll, which was released Thursday.

The poll places Grand Valley State at the top with 81 points and nine first-place votes. Saginaw Valley State follows with 71 points and one first-place vote, while Michigan Tech is third with 67 points. Wayne State received 53 points, marking the fourth time in six years that the team has been picked for fourth place in the preseason poll. Parkside rounds out the top five with 46 points. Grand Valley State has now led the preseason poll every year since 2018, except for 2020 when no poll was conducted due to COVID-19.

Returning for Wayne State is Anthony Vinson of Macomb, Michigan, who enters his senior season as a three-time letterwinner. Sean Pettis from Fremont, Michigan returns as a sophomore after finishing as Wayne State's top runner at last year's NCAA Midwest Regional meet, where he placed 67th. Other returning athletes who competed at regionals include Brady Heron of Northville, Ty Nagy of Commerce Township/White Lake Lakeland, and Jared Platt of White Lake/White Lake Lakeland.

Head coach Grant Lofdahl will lead the team into his ninth season and aims to guide Wayne State to its first appearance at the NCAA Championships since 2021.

The full GLIAC preseason poll is as follows:

1. Grand Valley State - 81 (9)

2. Saginaw Valley State - 71 (1)

3. Michigan Tech - 67

4. Wayne State - 53

5. Parkside - 46

6. Ferris State - 42

7. Davenport - 37

8. Lake Superior State - 23

9. Purdue Northwest - 21

10. Roosevelt - 9

Both Wayne State's men's and women's cross country teams are scheduled to begin their seasons on Friday, September 9 at the Hillsdale Invitational, with races starting at 6:00 PM for women and 6:30 PM for men.