PITTSBURG, Kan. — MoWest Cross Country closed out the 2025 MIAA Championships with competitive showings from both programs on Saturday, October 25, at Four Oaks Golf Course, hosted by Pittsburg State University. The Griffon men placed seventh overall with 175 points in the 8K, while the women finished 10th with 295 points in the 6K.
For the men, Pau Valderrama led the charge with a fifth-place finish in 24:45.69, followed closely by Wimach Gilo in 10th (25:04.86), as both runners earned First-Team All-MIAA honors. Mason Orscheln (42nd, 26:19.39), Logan Soedt (68th, 26:58.34), and Sam Shipp (78th, 27:36.46) rounded out the scoring five, while Ryan Ringgenberg, Angelo Baez-Mahr, Will Gessman, and Dylan Stout completed the Griffon lineup.
On the women's side, Abby Kinney paced MoWest, placing 27th overall in 22:44.92 and earning recognition as the Mammoth "A Game" Scholar-Athlete of the 2025 MIAA Women's Cross Country Championship. Her second career "A Game" Scholar-Athlete honor. Meagan Smith (78th, 24:44.08), Hailey McKinney (86th, 25:27.41), Bailey Cutler (87th, 25:30.69), and Kaleigh Harvey (88th, 25:32.49) contributed to the team score, while Brianna DeBord finished 105th (27:32.94).
Northwest Missouri captured the men's team championship with 54 points, followed by Pittsburg State (65) and Washburn (77). On the women's side, Pittsburg State claimed the title with 55 points, narrowly edging Rogers State (56) and Nebraska Kearney (71).
Head Coach Sean Gosewisch shared his thoughts on both the men's and women's teams following their performances at the MIAA Championships.
"For a young group, there were some hard lessons learned today. Abby Kinney handled herself very well up front as an individual and had a stellar race. It was great to see her recognized for her academic excellence as well. As a team, we finished where we did last year and where we were picked to finish this year — which is neither good nor bad; we performed as expected. However, missing out on ninth place by a single point does sting. It's a matter of learning these lessons and continuing to grow as we move forward."
"The men finished seventh last year, were picked to finish seventh this year, and finished seventh again. Pau and Wimach each had stellar days, and it's great to have two individuals earn All-Conference honors by placing in the top 10. As a team, there are still a few missing pieces that we need to move ourselves into that top four or five range in the conference. However, we're excited about the upcoming regional meet, where I believe the longer distance will play to our strengths and allow us to be more successful."
What's Next
MoWest Cross Country will now prepare for the 2025 NCAA Division II Central Region Championships, hosted by Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Mo., on November 8.
