FORT WAYNE, Ind. – The Golden Grizzlies cross country teams earned a handful of top-15 finishes, the men's team finishing second, and the women's team earning a third place finish this afternoon as Eliza Bush was named the 2025 #HLXC Women's Freshman of the Year at the Horizon League Championships hosted by Purdue Fort Wayne.
In the men's 8K, Oakland secured their best postseason performance since 2019 with a second place finish with 92 points, led by standout Wesley Hollowell. Hollowell delivered a stellar performance, finishing in seventh place overall with a time of 24:04.7, just edging teammate Anthony Hancock who followed close behind, in eighth place with a 24:05.7 final in the podium hunt.
Tristan Brandenburg crossed the line in 14th place at 24:31.5, improving from last season's 21st place finish, to add critical points to the team total, while Carter McCalister (18th, 24:32.6) and Joe Shaya (45th, 25:13.5) rounded out the scoring five for one of the team's best performances since joining the Horizon League.
On the women's side, the Golden Grizzlies captured third place with a total of 79 points, led by Eliza Bush's impressive fourth-place finish. Bush clocked in at 20:59.1, pushing the pace and keeping Oakland competitive with a top-five placement. Close behind her, senior Haileigh Bissett and freshman Hannah DeRoeck secured spots in the top 15, finishing 11th (21:27.8) and 13th (21:33.2), strengthening the podium.
Freshman Ava Alicandro crossed the line in 22nd place with a time of 21:53.4, while junior Anne May (29th, 22:11.6) rounded out the team's scoring five, each contributing to a consistent and competitive pack performance.
Furthermore, Hollowell and Bush were named First Team All-League, while Hancock, Bissett, and DeRoeck earned Second Team All-League honors. Cross Country/Track and Field Head Coach Paul Rice was named the Horizon's Men's Coach of the Year – the first time for Rice since 2017.
The Golden Grizzlies will look on to the postseason at NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Evansville, Ind. on November 14.
How to Follow Oakland Cross Country/Track and Field: For complete information on Oakland Cross Country/Track and Field teams, follow the team on X at @OaklandTrackXC. The team is also on Instagram.
