Wheeling, W. Va. – After a long season of highs and lows, the Wheeling University Men's and Women's Cross Country teams are ready to hit the conference championship stage. The teams will head to Oglebay Park on Saturday for the 2025 Mountain East Conference (MEC) Cross Country Championships, with the women's race beginning at 9:30 AM, followed by the Men's race at 10:30 AM. With several Cardinal runners taking part in the event for the first time in their careers, it will be a chance for continued growth for the young Cardinal Cross Country runners.
Last time out, the teams wrapped up their regular season in a strong field of both conference and regional opponents at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational. Both teams would finish 16th in the field, but each had strong individual successes as they rounded out their regular season. On the women's side, the Cardinals had one runner crack the top 60 of the even, finishing with a top 10 5K time in program history. In total, three of the five Cardinal runners set their 5K PRs at the event, as they rounded out a strong regular season. On the men's side, the Cardinals had two runners finish in the top 100 of the event as they rounded out a strong regular season. Like the women, the men also had several PR efforts on the day, with two of their five runners hitting the mark. Overall, it was a strong finish to the season for the Cardinal runners as they look to keep the momentum going into conference.
Leading the way on the women's side was Madison Conrad, who continued her season dominance on the Cross Country Course. She would finish 55th overall She would finish 55th overall and cracked the 19-minute mark with a time of 18:59.30. It was good for the sixth fastest 5K time in program history and makes her one of just six runners to eclipse the 19 Minute mark in a 5 K. She has led the Cardinals in every race this season, and looks to grab one of the top 20 spots in the field to earn All-Conference honors. The biggest PR at the event would come courtesy of Jezabella Cohen, who shaved four minutes off her 5K PR from the first race of the season. Cohen would run a time of 25:51.80 and finished 179th in the field to set the biggest PR of the day. She looks to continue building that success as she gets ready for her first conference championship event.
On the men's side, the Cardinals were once again led by sophomore Magnus Polkner, who set a PR for the second week in a row. He would finish with a time of 26:39.50, and was able to crack the top 20 among MEC competitors at the race. Polkner has been the leader for the men's team, leading the way in each of the three races he has participated in, and looks to capture his first-ever All-MEC honor at this year's Championship event. The other big PR of the day came courtesy of Aidan McKenna, who also set a pair of PR's in his last two races. At Carnegie Mellon, he would set his second straight 8K PR, running a time of 32:01.40 and set a new PR by just over 45 seconds. Over his past two races, McKenna has shaved about four minutes off his 8K PR, as he nearly cleared the 32 minute mark. As he heads into the challenging course at Oglebay, McKenna will look to keep his success going and score some key points at the back end of the Cardinal's team.
The 2025 MEC Cross Country Championships returns to Oglebay resort and the Crispin Golf Course. The teams will traverse what has been called one of the most challenging courses on the Cross Country circuit, filled with rolling hills that will challenge the runner's endurance. The women's 6K will get things started at 9:30 AM, followed by the men's 8K race at 10:30 AM. Heading into the season, both teams were picked #10 in their respective MEC preseason polls, and both squads are looking to show what their young talent can do on the postseason stage. Following the men's each, the MEC will hold their annual awards ceremony, where the All-MEC teams, Runner of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Coach of the Year will be crowned. The runners who place first through 10th will make up the First Team All-MEC, while runners 11 through 20 will earn Second Team honors. Former Cardinal Sydney Hambel won First Team All-MEC honors a season ago, while the men will be looking for their first honoree since the 2023 season.
The Details
The 2025 MEC Cross Country Championships will begin on Saturday, October 25th, with the Women's 6K at 9:30 AM, followed by the Men's 8K at 10:30 AM. You can watch the action live by clicking HERE.
