Michigan State University Athletics
10/28/2026 7:02:00 PM | Cross Country
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State cross country captured three of the conference's final four weekly accolades on Wednesday afternoon, highlighted by Kaitlyn Reese sweeping Big Ten Women's Athlete and Freshman of the Week, while Gus Rohde garnered Big Ten Men's Freshman of the Week.
The selections mark the final regular-season weekly awards presented by the conference office for the 2026 cross country season.
With her sweep, Reese becomes the first runner in program history to collect both Big Ten Women's Athlete and Freshman of the Week in the same week. She is the first Spartan to garner Women's Athlete of the Week honors since senior Taylor Pangburn on Sept. 16, and the first MSU runner to earn Women's Freshman of the Week accolades since Madison Osterberg on Oct. 29, 2025, following the EMU Classic.
Rohde's recognition marks the second Men's Freshman of the Week honor for the Green and White this fall, joining Beckett Crooks (Sept. 16). Together, Reese and Rohde bring Michigan State's season total to six Big Ten weekly honors, joining Pangburn, Crooks, junior Jasper Cane (Men's Athlete, Sept. 16), and sophomore Thomas Westphal (Men's Athlete, Sept. 23).
Reese, a true freshman from Avon, Ohio, secured both women's honors following an individual victory at the EMU Fall Classic on Friday, Oct. 23, in Dexter, Michigan. Competing at Hudson Mills Metropark, Reese paced the women's 5k field with a personal-record time of 17:42.9, holding off rival Keaton Robar of Michigan down the homestretch to secure her first regular-season collegiate win. Her performance led the Spartan women to a first-place team finish with 25 points. The conference recognition comes two days after Reese was named the NCAA Division I National Athlete of the Week by the USTFCCCA.
Rohde, a redshirt-freshman from Reed City, Michigan, collected Men's Freshman of the Week honors after pacing the Spartan men's squad at the EMU Fall Classic. Rohde finished second overall and crossed as the top attached collegiate runner in the men's 5k, clocking a personal-best time of 15:05.8 to guide four Spartans into the top seven.
Both the Michigan State men and women now head into championship competition at the 2026 Big Ten Cross Country Championships on Friday, Oct. 30, hosted at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Verona, Wisconsin. Race action begins at 10:35 a.m. CT / 11:35 a.m. ET with live coverage on Big Ten Network.
