TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State cross country splits its squad for the first time this season Friday, with a pair of meets on deck for the Blue and White. The Sycamores will take part in the Joe Piane Invitational at Notre Dame, while also sending a contingent to the XC Town Twilight at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
Indiana State's women's team will be in the Blue Division of the Joe Piane Invitational, with that race starting at 9:50 a.m. The Sycamores are in the Gold Division on the men's side, with that race beginning at 12:30 p.m.
The XC Town Twilight races will go at 9 p.m. for the men and 9:45 p.m. for the women. There is a $5 per person admission fee collected at the gate for meets at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, with children ages 5 and under admitted for free.
| 2025 XC Town Twilight |
| Date |
Friday, October 3 | 9 p.m. (men's 8k) // 9:45 p.m. (women's 6k) |
| Location // Venue |
Terre Haute, Ind. // LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course |
| Preview Info |
Meet Information // Course Maps (8K | 6K) |
| Live Results |
Results Link |
| Tickets |
$5 Admission Per Person Collected at the Gate // Children 5 and Under Free |
| Social Media |
@IndStXCTF // @IndStAthletics |
Who's In The Field?
Indiana State will compete against Bradley, Boise State, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Grand Valley State, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas State, Liberty, Miami (Ohio), Milwaukee, Notre Dame, Ohio, Purdue, South Carolina, Western Michigan, Wyoming and Youngstown State on the women's side at the Joe Piane Invitational.
The Sycamores will compete against DePaul, Eastern Michigan, Ferris State, Goshen, Green Bay, IU Indy, Kansas State, Kent State, Marquette, Milwaukee, Purdue Fort Wayne, Robert Morris, Spring Arbor, St. Thomas (Minn.), UChicago, Valparaiso, Western University (Canada), Western Illinois, Windsor (Canada) and Wright State on the men's side at the Joe Piane Invitational.
Competing teams at the XC Town Twilight will be announced once publicized by meet management.
Last Time Out
Indiana State earned top-three finishes on both the men's and women's side at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course, as the Sycamores played host to the John McNichols Invitational. The Sycamores placed third on the men's side and were second on the women's side, narrowly missing out on the top spot by virtue of a tiebreaker.
Brittney Burak led the way for the Trees for a second straight meet to start the season, placing third with a time of 21:46. Burak was joined in the top five by teammates
Peyton Smith (21:49.5) and
Sawyer DeWitt (22:03.8), while
Gnister Grant (22:23.5) and
Hadley Gradolf (22:27.5) both carded top-15 finishes to round out the Trees' scorers.
Emerson Fayman earned his first top-10 finish of the season to lead the way for the Sycamores on the men's side, with his time of 25:12.4 placing him sixth.
Ryan York (25:29.6) and
Mason Nobles (25:36.4) both earned top-15 finishes for the Trees, while
Brandon Mueller (26:08.0) and
Xander Fackler (26:15.2) rounded out the Sycamores' scoring with top-35 finishes.
New Kids On The Block
Indiana State's newcomers made an instant impact in the Sycamores' season-opening meet at Illinois. The Trees featured a pair of freshmen in their top seven on the women's side, while two freshmen and a transfer were among Indiana State's top seven on the men's side.
Sawyer DeWitt's season-opening 4k time of 14:00.1 placed her fourth in program history in the event, with
Eve Schurr's time of 14:30.6 also putting her in the top 10 in program history in the 4k. On the men's side,
Mason Nobles carded a top-30 finish in his collegiate debut with a 6k time of 18:34.3.
Chris Angeles (18:55.7) and
Alex Alvarez (18:59.0) also placed among the top 40 in their Indiana State debuts.
Run It Back
Indiana State's trip to the Joe Piane Invitational brings back good memories for the Blue and White, as the Sycamores won the women's gold division race and placed fourth in the men's gold division race last season in South Bend.
Emma Gresham broke Indiana State's program record in the 5k last season in South Bend, running a time of 16:58.6 to place second. Gresham became the first Sycamore in program history to break the 17-minute mark in the 5k, while each of Indiana State's top seven finished in the top 50.
Emerson Fayman led the way for the Blue and White on the men's side, with his 8k time of 24:46.4 placing him in the top 30.
Trees In The Polls
Indiana State remains among the top 15 in the USTFCCCA's Great Lakes Region rankings, with the Sycamores checking in at No. 14 in the region in this week's women's poll.
The Sycamores have been ranked as high as No. 8 in the region this season on the women's side and have been inside the top 15 in each of the first three region rankings. The Trees will look to continue their success in the rankings after picking up a pair of top-five team finishes on both the men's and women's side to start the 2025 campaign.
Top-Three Trees
Indiana State's lineup has featured a pair of freshmen who have been mainstays in the Sycamores' scoring contingent in each of the first two meets this season.
Sawyer DeWitt earned a top-15 finish in the season opener at Illinois with her 4k time of 14:00.1 and followed that with a top-five finish at the John McNichols Invitational, courtesy of her 6k time of 22:03.8.
Mason Noble has been the third Sycamore to cross the line on the men's side in each of the first two meets this season. Nobles earned a top-30 finish in the season opener at Illinois with his 6k time of 18:34.3 and added a top-15 finish at the John McNichols Invitational with his 8k time of 25:36.4.
First Time For Everything
Emerson Fayman and
Brittney Burak have been in the lead pack in each of the first two meets for Indiana State this season, with the Sycamore duo both earning their first career top-10 finishes during the Trees' opening stretch of the season.
Burak placed seventh in the season opener at Illinois with a program record 4k time of 13:44.4 and followed that with a third-place finish at the John McNichols Invitational with her 6k time of 21:46.0. Fayman earned his first career top-10 finish at the John McNichols Invitational, placing sixth with an 8k time of 25:12.4.
Up Next
Another split-squad weekend awaits for the Sycamores, who will field entries at the Bradley Pink Classic and the Pre-National Invitational October 17-18.
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Cross Country teams, make sure to check out
GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including
Facebook and
Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the
App Store and the
Google Play Store.
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