Elias Kretchmar, No. 21 Men’s Cross Country Excel at Michigan State Invitational

Hope finishes highest among Division III teams in the field

The 21st-ranked Hope College men's cross country team raced to a seventh-place finish at Friday's Michigan State University Spartan Invitational that also marked the best effort among the NCAA Division III teams in the 24-team field.

The Flying Dutch scored 205 points, 36 more than eighth-place Hillsdale College from NCAA Division II. Michigan State took first with 15 points, 49 points ahead of runner-up Butler University.

Junior Elias Kretchmar led the Orange and Blue in the 8K race at Forest Akers Golf Course in East Lansing by clocking a time of 25 minutes, 27.8 seconds. The course is where the Division III Great Lakes Regional will be held in November.

Kretchmar's run was the second-fastest among Division III entrants. John Carroll University's Sam Su was the fastest at 25:02.6 for 18th place.

Sophomore Elijah Forbord (Howell, Michigan / Brighton) crossed the finish line next for Hope, placing 43rd at 25:43.4.

Junior Joe Waalkes (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Grand Rapids Christian) recorded a 53rd-place effort at 25:52.6.

Junior Cooper Jacobsen (Grand Rapids, Michigan / Forest Hills Eastern) posted a 69th-place run of 26:18.5.

Freshman Ethan Hertza (Northville, Michigan / Northville) completed the Flying Dutch's point total with a 70th-place time of 26:19.6.

Two more Hope runners finished among the Top 100 in the 312-runner field.

Freshman Jack Steen (Traverse City, Michigan / Traverse City Central) placed 87th at 26:36.7.

Sophomore Aiden Moore (Battle Creek, Michigan / Lakeview) was 96th at 26:44.1.

Hope next runs on Friday, Sept. 18, at 10 a.m. at Western Michigan University's George Dales Invitational.

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Players Mentioned

Elijah Forbord: Sophomore

Cooper Jacobsen: Junior; Exercise Science

Elias Kretchmar: Junior; Mechanical Engineering

Aiden Moore: Sophomore

Joe Waalkes: Junior

Ethan Hertza: Freshman

Jack Steen: Freshman

Players Mentioned

Elijah Forbord
: Sophomore

Cooper Jacobsen
: Junior; Exercise Science

Elias Kretchmar
: Junior; Mechanical Engineering

Aiden Moore
: Sophomore

Joe Waalkes
: Junior

Ethan Hertza
: Freshman

Jack Steen
: Freshman