?Illini men’s cross-country look to continue strong season
By Will Most
November 11, 2015
After the Illinois men's cross country team slowly realized that they had taken second in the Big Ten Championship, the joy spread across the team's faces was evident. Suddenly, the team's season — a promising one, but one with no big wins — had an entirely different spin. The Ill...
Big chance for the Illini to succeed at conference championship
By Will Most
October 28, 2015
The Illinois men’s cross-country team came full circle this fall, beginning its season with the Illini Challenge and ending with the Illini Open, both run at the Illinois Arboretum. But now, the Illini leave all the comforts of home and the competition ramps up.While Illinois’ young roster will ...
Illinois men’s cross country takes first in Rock Island
By Will Most
September 27, 2015
On Friday, three Illinois runners, including two returning from injuries, placed in the top-five at the Brissman-Lundeen Invite to give the Illini their first win of the season.Redshirt senior Ian Barnett, who was making his season debut after battling a sore glute, took second. Senior Jereme Atchison, w...
Top men’s cross country recruit makes his Illini debut
By Will Most
September 20, 2015
Jesse Reiser could have run anywhere. With an impressively quick 8 minute 55 second two mile and top-10 finishes in both Foot Locker Nationals and Nike Cross Nationals, freshman Reiser was in the conversation as one of the very best recruits in the nation. Of all the universities he could have attend...
A little luck could have gotten Illini men’s cross-country to Nationals
December 16, 2014
Jake Stewart may be spending this offseason looking for a good luck charm. The head coach of the Illinois men’s cross-country team watched his team fall 2,000 meters short of qualifying for Nationals, as the team ended its season by placing fifth at the NCAA Regional meet. Stewart claimed the team...
Illinois men’s cross-country ends season at Regionals
November 17, 2014
Had Friday’s NCAA Midwest Regional cross-country meet been an 8K instead of a 10K, Illinois would have been preparing for Nationals instead of untying the shoes of another season. With 2,000 meters left in the race, the Illini were in second place, an automatic qualifying spot for Nationals. However...
Illinois men’s cross-country gears up for Regionals
By Matt Gertsmeir
November 13, 2014
Brendan McDonnell ran for three years on Illinois’ club cross-country team before impressing coaches and earning a spot on the varsity team. Bryce Basting used to wear an Eastern Illinois uniform before transferring and running in an orange and blue one. Jannis Toepfer studied in the Netherlands bef...
Home away from home for Illinois’ Jannis Toepfer
November 11, 2014
Check Illinois men’s cross-country results from the last three years, and one name is consistently at the top: Jannis Toepfer. This season is his last for the Illini and then the 25-year-old graduate student will finally end his collegiate running career. But if not for one family’s open arms, and one c...
Illinois finishes 6th at Big Tens
November 3, 2014
IOWA CITY, IOWA — Disappointed expressions lurked on the Illinois’ men’s cross-country team’s faces after its sixth place finish at the Big Ten Conference Championship meet on Sunday. With a chance to beat four ranked Big Ten opponents, Illinois came into the conference championship hoping f...
Illinois men’s cross-country heads to Wisconsin Adidas Invitational
By Matt Gertsmeier
October 16, 2014
With a two-week break from competition, the Illinois men’s cross-country team is set to race in the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational on Friday. This will be the Illini’s toughest meet so far, going up against 19 nationally ranked opponents in the 38-team field, including conference opponents No. 9 Wisc...
Illinois men’s cross-country ready for Roy Griak Invitational
By Matt Gertsmeier
September 25, 2014
After three weeks off from competing, the Illinois men’s cross-country team will face 30 other teams Saturday at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis. “We’re going to see a lot of different teams from a lot of different parts of the country that we are not typically going to see,” said hea...
Illini men’s cross-country coach returns home
By Christopher Kennedy
September 4, 2014
Jake Stewart is returning home. Born and raised in Kelso, Washington, he grew up as much at his home as he did at Tam O’Shara Park, where the Kelso High School Hilanders’ cross-country course lies. He spent hours on long bus rides through the Cascades to the Washington State Meet and on runs after ...
