KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The University of Saint Francis (Ind.) cross country teams traveled to Tennessee to compete in the NAIA Appalachian Challenge on Friday, October 24, in the Cougars' final tune-up before the 2025 Crossroads League Cross Country Championships.

The men's team placed seventh out of 20 teams, achieving several PRs and securing multiple top-10 finishes in school history.

Freshman Emmanuel Langat led Saint Francis, recording the second-fastest time in school history at 24:49.32, securing 15th place. He was followed by Zane Strydom, who finished with a time of 25:18.36, and Evan Pitts, who clocked in at 26:04.86. Dylan Anspach completed the race in 26:27.19, while Taylor Stubbins finished at 26:30.17.

"Today was a great day for the program. Every woman raced a season best, and almost every man ran a personal record," said Coach Moody. "We are running well at the right time of year and have shown that we can compete with some of the best teams in the country."

Up next, Saint Francis will compete in the 2025 Crossroads League Championships on Saturday, November 7. This year's championships will take place on the campus of Indiana Wesleyan University.

Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the University of Saint Francis offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences, and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, Saint Francis designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point, Lafayette and online. Saint Francis Downtown houses the music technology program while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The University of Saint Francis, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 21 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. More than 1,900 students from a broad geographic region attend Saint Francis.