2025 WIAC Men’s Cross Country Championship Preview

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will aim for an eighth straight title at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Cross Country Championship (presented by Culver’s). The 64th edition of the conference meet will be hosted by UW-Oshkosh at XC Ranch at Moore’s Field of Dreams in Oshkosh, Wis., on Nov. 1. The men’s race will begin at noon.
 
UW-La Crosse claimed the 39th first-place finish in program history a year ago with 24 points to exceed UW-Whitewater’s second-place total of 55 points. UW-Eau Claire took third with 105 points, UW-Platteville fourth with 109, UW-Stevens Point fifth with 120, UW-Stout sixth with 126, UW-Oshkosh seventh with 186 and UW-River Falls eighth with 249.
 
UW-Oshkosh ranks second behind UW-La Crosse with 10 titles, while UW-Stevens Point has five, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville each have four, and UW-Whitewater two.
 
Four programs are ranked among the finest in NCAA Division III based on Oct. 22 rankings distributed by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. UW-La Crosse is the top-ranked team, while UW-Platteville is 12th, UW-Stevens Point 13th and UW-Whitewater 26th.
 
UW-La Crosse’s Grant Matthai is the returning individual champion after posting a time of 23:34.5 on the 8,000-meter course. He finished third at the 2023 championship after placing 12th in 2022.
 
Additional returning runners that secured All-WIAC recognition at the 2024 championship include: UW-Eau Claire’s Jack Hesse-Withbroe (20th); UW-La Crosse’s Jayden Zywicki (fourth), Aidan Matthai (fifth), Joey Sullivan (sixth), Adam Loenser (10th), Will Aurit (13th), Chuck Vater (14th) and Owen Clark (19th); UW-Platteville’s Caden Schneider (11th) and Zach Sporaa (16th); UW-Stevens Point’s Logan Murphy (15th) and Mike Brown (18th); and UW-Whitewater’s Dan Anderson (ninth).
 
Sullivan (sixth), Loenser (seventh), Schneider (eighth), Anderson (ninth) and Zywicki (14th) also collected all-conference honors in 2023, and were joined by UW-Whitewater’s Tucker Johnson (20th).
 
Aidan Matthai (eighth) and Anderson (16th) claimed all-conference accolades in 2022.
 
Additional runners leading their teams this fall include: UW-Oshkosh’s Cameron Cullen, UW-River Falls’ Logan Munson and UW-Stout’s Julian Van Antwerp.
 
The top seven runners in the 8,000-meter race will receive All-WIAC first team recognition, while runners placing eighth through 14th earn All-WIAC second team accolades. Individuals finishing 15th through 20th claim honorable mention status.
 

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