Strong pack running helped the Hillsdale College men's cross country team claim another team title early in the 2023 season on Friday night in Grand Woods Park in Lansing, Michigan.
The Chargers finished with 41 points to beat runner-up Davenport by 16 and host Lansing Community College by 18 to claim the Lansing Cross Country Invitational title. It's Hillsdale's second race win of the year after also winning the Diemer Classic earlier in September.
The Chargers were led by junior Micah VanderKooi, who ran a collegiate best time of 25:52.2 for the 8K to place seventh overall in the race.
Great team support behind VanderKooi helped secure the title for Hillsdale, as the Chargers put six runners in the top 15.
Junior Alex Mitchell placed ninth in 26:00.4, junior teammate Donny McArdle finished close behind in 10th in 26:05.9, and junior Richie Johnston came in right on McArdle's heels in 11th in 26:06.0.
Junior Ross Kuhn rounded out Hillsdale's scoring pack in 14th in 26:11.0, while freshman Caleb Youngstedt finished 15th in 26:12.9. Senior Sean Hoeft took 30th in 26:54.9 to place as well for Hillsdale in the race.
With its September schedule out of the way, Hillsdale has one more big test before championship season begins, as the Chargers travel to Chicagoland for the Lewis Crossover on Oct. 7. One of the top meets in the nation, a who's who of elite NCAA DII teams will be racing at Lewis -- giving the Chargers a chance to step up and prove themselves against top competition heading into the G-MAC Championships later in the month.