RIVER FOREST, ILL. --- Another year means another season of Concordia University Chicago (CUC) cross country. As both the men's and women's teams prepare to compete this year, catch up on how the team performed last year as well as what the upcoming season looks like. 

Last Season

The 2022 season began with the Elmhurst Early Bird Invitational on Sep. 2. The women's team placed fourth of the eight teams competing, while Callie Hoover finished fifth overall. 

One week later, the two teams hit the course in Concordia University Wisconsin's Ken Weidt Classic. The men's team ranked fifth of the six teams present, while the women's squad came in fourth out of seven teams. Next on the schedule was September 17's Wheaton College Gil Dodds Invitational, where Hoover and Ernest Bogart led the charge for their respective teams. 

With the midway point of the season came the Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) Warrior Invitational on Oct. 1. Hoover turned in another strong performance, netting her fourth place of all female runners. It was also a good day for the men's team, with Bogart and Mauricio Xochitecatl both finishing in the top 15. 

Both squads returned to WLC two weeks later for the Wisconsin Private College Championships. Yet again, Hoover finished top five thanks to her time of 24:19.3 in the 6k event. 

Then came the Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) Championships on Oct. 29., with the women's team placing eighth of the 11 teams running. Leading the pack for Concordia was Hoover, who finished just shy of the top 10 at 11th place. Tegan Oas also finished in the top 50. In the men's competition, the team came in ninth out of 10 as Xochitecatl placed first amongst Cougar athletes. 

Nov. 12 brought the season finale with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Midwest Regional Championships in Geneva, Illinois. Of the 32 men's teams, CUC placed 30th. Xochitecatl led all CUC runners once again with his 28:58.8 time. Meanwhile, the women's squad ranked 27th in a field of 29. Ariel Martinez was the Concordia leader thanks to her run of 28:34. 

"It was a phenomenal experience getting to spend my first few months getting to know the group of athletes that I had," says head coach Malachi Allgood about the 2022 season. "The fall is always an exciting time for sports with the start of school, and I think that we grew closer together as a group last fall and it carried into this year."

Coach Allgood

Malachi Allgood, a 2018 graduate of Concordia University Chicago, returns for year two in charge of the cross country team. Since returning to his alma mater in 2022, he has had one runner place just outside the top-10 at the NACC Cross Country Championships. Additionally, a bevy of his runners have set new personal records under his watch. 

"I'm here to be a staple for the athletics department and the school," says Allgood. "In my mind, there's no reason we can't really cultivate a deep running culture here and that's going to be a continuous goal I push towards."

Returning Players

Both the men's and women's cross country teams feature plenty of continuity from past rosters. 

Six of the eight members on the women's team are returners. Two of those returners, McKenna Stanley and Martinez, were highlighted by Coach Allgood. Stanley's best time came at the Wisconsin Private College Championship. Meanwhile, Martinez led Cougar runners on the women's side of the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships.

On the men's team, four of the five runners are returners. Xochitecatl is one athlete Coach Allgood is particularly excited to see this season. The senior had his best finish last year at the Warrior Invitational on Oct. 1, placing 15th with his 8k run of 28:51.3. He also set a new 6k personal best on Sep. 2 at the Elmhurst Invite, finishing his run in 23:26.1.

Incoming sophomore William Leonard is another member on the men's team Coach Allgood has expressed enthusiasm for. Leonard ended the 2022 season on a high note, setting a new 8k personal best in his last race of the year, running 31:37.3 in the 2022 NCAA Midwest Regional Championships

New Faces

The men's cross country team features just one new runner in first-year Jyzaiah Santiago.

Santiago has two freshman counterparts on the women's team: Lydia Anderson and Sarah Redhage. 

"Making the leap is always a game of acclimation; the biggest thing I want from our new cougars is to get comfortable with their new teammates in these new racing situations," says Allgood when asked his newcomers. "I'm looking for them to foster leadership within themselves and I'm going to promote ownership over the team for every athlete."

A Look Ahead

Cross country competes at seven meets this season, all starting on Sep. 1 at the Rock River Invite, hosted by Rockford University.

For meet number two, the squad travels to Warrenville, Illinois, on Sep. 8 for the North Central College XC Invitational. Two weeks later, the team heads north for University of Wisconsin-Parkside's Lucian Ross Invitational, a meet Coach Allgood is especially looking forward to.

"I think that UW-Parkside's XC course is a prime example of classic Cross Country," says Allgood. "It's a course the team hasn't seen in a couple years, so it'll be a treat to race there again."

The Warrior Invitational in West Allis, Wisconsin, is next on the docket, scheduled for Sep. 30. Then, after a weekend off, CUC gets one final tuneup before the conference championship on Oct. 13 at the Bradley Pink Classic. 

The NACC Cross Country Championship is dated for Oct. 28, hosted this year by Wisconsin Lutheran College. Finally, the schedule closes out with the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship on Nov. 11 in Waverly, Iowa. 

"I'm really looking forward to making a leap," says Allgood about this upcoming season. "We've added some hard workers and talent to the roster, and I'd like to see that translate to the course."

The 2023 CUC Cross Country season kicks off on Sep. 1 with the Rock River Invite in Rockford, Illinois. The men's team starts at 5 p.m. CST, while the women begin 35 minutes later at 5:35 p.m. CST. Coverage for the meet, as well as everything CUC cross country related, can be found on our website www.cucougars.com.