The University of Minnesota Crookston men’s cross country was picked to finish 11th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches’ Poll released Monday by the conference office. The Golden Eagles finished 11th in 2024 at the NSIC Men’s Cross Country Championship.
The Golden Eagles have a strong contingent returning from the 2024 roster, supplemented by newcomers. Noah Revels (Jr., Farmington) was selected as the Athlete to Watch for the Golden Eagles. Revels led the Golden Eagles, finishing 41st in a packed field with a time of 25:26.6 at the NSIC Championship in 2024.
“It was great to see Noah back out on the course last year after missing the two previous seasons due to injury,” said Head Coach Steve Krouse. “Noah emerged as a frontrunner of our men’s cross country team and was our top finisher in every race he competed in. He has put in a lot of time and effort during the offseason to stay healthy and get back to his pre-injury fitness levels. He is extremely motivated and I can’t wait to see all of Noah’s hard work pay off as a senior!”
Connor Thoennes (Sr., Coleraine) finished 66th last season at the NSIC Championship, also breaking the previous school record along with Revels. Thoennes clocked in at 26:00.8. Aaden Nauman (So., Windom), a transfer from the University of Sioux Falls, finished one spot behind Thoennes with a time of 26:01.8. Taylor Johnson (Jr., Lake Park) placed 72nd, also breaking the previous school record, with a time of 26:08.4. Riley Hanson (Jr., Farmington), Zach Hanson (Jr., Farmington), Lane Hoefs (Jr., Wadena), Robert Ingle (Jr., Laura, Ohio), and Chase Werner (So., Marshall) also come back from last season’s record-setting squad.
In addition to Nauman, Minnesota Crookston added Bennett Allred (Fr., Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Kohen Holcomb (Fr., Marshall), Brayden Paulsen (Fr., Little Falls), and Jonathan Roth (Fr., Sioux Falls, S.D.).
“Each year since the program started in 2019, our 8k team average time has decreased,” Krouse stated. “The team looks to build on that success as we are returning our top five scoring runners from last year’s squad and added five talented incomers. At the top, our two seniors Noah Revels and Connor Thoennes have great leadership qualities and lead by example. I am excited to watch the men compete and continue to reach new heights this season!”
The Golden Eagles were picked ahead of the University of Jamestown, Minot State University, and Southwest Minnesota State University. Augustana University was selected to finish first with 10 first-place votes, while Minnesota State University Moorhead was picked second with four first-place votes. MSU Moorhead’s Chase Hoechst was selected as the Preseason Athlete of the Year.