Cross Country Wraps BIG EAST XC Championships

Friday, October 31

Omaha, Neb.

11:00 AM

DePaul University

Big East Championships

Cross Country Wraps BIG EAST XC Championships

10/31/2025 1:54:00 PM | CROSS COUNTRY

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Blue Demons conclude BIG EAST battle in Nebraska

ASHLAND, Neb. – DePaul cross country team concluded its stay at the 2025 BIG EAST Championships with a fifth-place finish in the men's 8k, and an eighth-place conclusion in the women's 6k. The Sophomore tandem Vivian Wyller of Mohamed Abdullahi led DePaul in their respective races for the third-straight time, with 28th and 11th-place finishes.

The men kicked off championship race day at 11:00 a.m. CT, with the women following at 11:50 a.m.

"That was just a great run. They did really well top to bottom," said head coach Geoff Wayton. "Mohamed had the highest BIG EAST finish we've ever had in the modern era, placing 11th, adding [another] personal record as well–I'm really proud of him. John Bush ran out of his mind; a PR by 38 seconds after cross-training most of the season. Kyle Clark really quarterbacked the pack today. Overall, it was a really good day for the men. When you look at season bests and how far we've come, it was a strong performance."

The sophomore surge of Abdullahi continued as he recorded his fourth-straight personal best performance, with as many top-finishes for DePaul in that span. Abdullahi hung around the top group of racers for the entirety of the race, ultimately finishing 11th and recording another historic 8k time of 23:44.42.

Veteran upperclassmen Mason Krieg and John Bush came through shortly after, finishing within two seconds and placing 35th and 36th, respectively. Kyle Clark and Cole Tupper were the next wave of runners to round out DePaul's top-five, finishing within three runners with Clark at 49th and Tupper at 51st.

"Isa and Kalina had huge PRs; they both ran really well," said Wayton. "Gianna also ran a personal record and continued to show great progress this year. Even without one of our top runners, the team held together and competed hard. When you look at their season bests and the adversity they faced, they still performed well and ran with potential."

Wyller led DePaul on the women's side, finishing 28th with a time of 21:19.9. Kalina Urbaniak and Isabella Orozco completed the race sequentially, each notching personal bests with times of 21:39.0 and 21:41.4, respectively.

DePaul's fourth finisher, Gianna Sanchez, placed 60th and earned a personal best for the second-straight race with a time of 22:17.5. Sara Cordova rounded out the scoring efforts with a 74th place finish, running in 23:14.4.

"If you look at where we are right now compared to the start of the year, both groups are trending in the right direction," concluded Wayton. "We've dealt with some injuries and setbacks, but the way they've responded shows the character of this team."

Up Next
DePaul will compete at the NCAA DIvision I Midwest Regional Championships in Stillwater, Okla. on Nov. 14th.

BIG EAST Championships Results
Mahoney State Park
Friday, Oct. 31

Men's 8K
11. Mohamed Abdullahi - 23:44.42
35. Mason Krieg - 24:50.28
36. John Bush - 24:52.85
49. Kyle Clark - 25:17.45
51. Cole Tupper - 25:20.36
67. Daniel Grauer - 25:53.78
70. Jack Broghammer - 26:10.20

Women's 6K
28. Vivian Wyller - 21:19.9
44. Kalina Urbaniak - 21:39.0
45. Isabella Orozco - 21:41.4
60. Gianna Sanchez - 22:17.5
74. Sara Cordova - 23:14.4
82. Trixie Johnson - 23:49.2
87. Lucy McNally - 24:14.2