MSU Cross Country Hosts Big Ten Championships Friday
10/30/2025 1:15:00 PM | Cross Country
Big Ten Cross Country Championships
Date: Friday, Oct. 31
Time: Men's 8k Race - 10:35 p.m.
Women's 6k Race - 11:35 a.m.
Location: Forest Akers East Golf Course (East Lansing, Mich.)
 
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State's cross country teams will host the Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Friday at Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing, marking the first time since 2012 that MSU is hosting the conference meet.
The men's 8k race will begin at 10:35 a.m., while the women's 6k race will start at 11:35 a.m. The awards ceremony will follow at 12:35 p.m. Admission is free. Spectators may park in lot 89. A shuttle will be provided from lot 89 to Forest Akers East Golf Course parking lot. For those who are able, there's a walking path from lot 89 to the golf course by using the cross walk on Mount Hope Rd. Please refer to the event parking map for details on location.
Friday's race will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
This is the fifth overall time that the men have hosted and the fourth that the women have. MSU has previously hosted the championship in 1970, 1981, 1993, 2003, 2012. The Spartan women won at home in 1981, while the men were victorious in 1970.
The Big Ten has gotten even more dominate with six women's teams currently ranked in the top 25, including No. 4 Oregon, No. 8 Northwestern, No. 12 Penn State, No. 19 Wisconsin, No. 20 Washington and No. 24 Michigan State. On the men's side, four teams are ranked in No. 10 Oregon, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 25 Michigan.
MSU's women's team has won two of the last three Big Ten championships and have captured four of the last six titles. Last season in Champaign, the Spartans finished sixth with 173 points, while Oregon won its first Big Ten Cross Country title with 33 points. Spartan Rachel Forsyth earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, while Kaitlyn Hynes was named to the second team. Forsyth also was named to the All-Freshman team and also tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Year
This season, the Spartans have been led once again by Forsyth. She was MSU's top finisher at the Nuttycombe Invitational (20th, 20:14.6) and the Gans Creek Classic (28th, 19:59.4). Taylor Pangburn, Kate Stewart-Barnett and Sarah Forsyth have also led the way for the Michigan State women this season.
Last season, the MSU men finished fourth with 125 points. Andrew Nolan earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition with a eighth-place finish in the race. Riley Hough capture second-team All-Big Ten honors. Moses Osterink earned All-Freshman team accolades.
Hough and freshman Thomas Westphal have had breakout seasons for the Spartans. Hough has captured Athlete of the Week honors three times, while Westphal has been Freshman of the Week the same three weeks.
This is the first time that the Spartans have hosted the Big Ten Championship since 2012. At that championship, MSU's Sara Kroll, who is currently a broadcaster for BTN, won the 6k race at Forest Akers East with a personal-best time of 20:13. The MSU women's team finished second with 75 points. The Spartan men were seventh with 183 points.
 
Date: Friday, Oct. 31
Time: Men's 8k Race - 10:35 p.m.
Women's 6k Race - 11:35 a.m.
Location: Forest Akers East Golf Course (East Lansing, Mich.)
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State's cross country teams will host the Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Friday at Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing, marking the first time since 2012 that MSU is hosting the conference meet.
The men's 8k race will begin at 10:35 a.m., while the women's 6k race will start at 11:35 a.m. The awards ceremony will follow at 12:35 p.m. Admission is free. Spectators may park in lot 89. A shuttle will be provided from lot 89 to Forest Akers East Golf Course parking lot. For those who are able, there's a walking path from lot 89 to the golf course by using the cross walk on Mount Hope Rd. Please refer to the event parking map for details on location.
Friday's race will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.
This is the fifth overall time that the men have hosted and the fourth that the women have. MSU has previously hosted the championship in 1970, 1981, 1993, 2003, 2012. The Spartan women won at home in 1981, while the men were victorious in 1970.
The Big Ten has gotten even more dominate with six women's teams currently ranked in the top 25, including No. 4 Oregon, No. 8 Northwestern, No. 12 Penn State, No. 19 Wisconsin, No. 20 Washington and No. 24 Michigan State. On the men's side, four teams are ranked in No. 10 Oregon, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 15 Wisconsin and No. 25 Michigan.
MSU's women's team has won two of the last three Big Ten championships and have captured four of the last six titles. Last season in Champaign, the Spartans finished sixth with 173 points, while Oregon won its first Big Ten Cross Country title with 33 points. Spartan Rachel Forsyth earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, while Kaitlyn Hynes was named to the second team. Forsyth also was named to the All-Freshman team and also tabbed Big Ten Freshman of the Year
This season, the Spartans have been led once again by Forsyth. She was MSU's top finisher at the Nuttycombe Invitational (20th, 20:14.6) and the Gans Creek Classic (28th, 19:59.4). Taylor Pangburn, Kate Stewart-Barnett and Sarah Forsyth have also led the way for the Michigan State women this season.
Last season, the MSU men finished fourth with 125 points. Andrew Nolan earned first-team All-Big Ten recognition with a eighth-place finish in the race. Riley Hough capture second-team All-Big Ten honors. Moses Osterink earned All-Freshman team accolades.
Hough and freshman Thomas Westphal have had breakout seasons for the Spartans. Hough has captured Athlete of the Week honors three times, while Westphal has been Freshman of the Week the same three weeks.
This is the first time that the Spartans have hosted the Big Ten Championship since 2012. At that championship, MSU's Sara Kroll, who is currently a broadcaster for BTN, won the 6k race at Forest Akers East with a personal-best time of 20:13. The MSU women's team finished second with 75 points. The Spartan men were seventh with 183 points.
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