Hanover, Ind. – The IU Columbus men's and women's cross country teams launched their 2025 seasons on Saturday at the annual Hanover College opener, turning in a mix of encouraging individual performances and valuable early-season experience.
The women started the day with a 5K and finished 5th as a team, highlighted by an impressive collegiate debut from Phoebe Dowty. The first-year runner made an immediate impact, placing 6th overall in her first race after a year away from competition. Erin Jones followed as the Crimson Pride's second finisher, crossing in 39th place with a time of 23:42. Rounding out the scoring five were Tori Gauck (56th, 25:35), Grace Barkes (68th, 32:44), and Alex Saavedra (69th, 36:48).
On the men's side, IU Columbus battled rising temperatures in a shorter-than-usual 6K race, placing 7th as a team but showcasing standout individual efforts. Jackson Neibert delivered the performance of the day, placing 16th overall with a school-record time of 21:17, breaking the previous Crimson Pride 6K mark. Sophomore Emiliano Rosales-Lopez followed close behind in 25th place, setting a personal best at 21:47. Local first-year runner Chance Knapp made a strong collegiate debut, finishing 40th in 23:29, while Bryaun Manuel (44th, 24:44), Joey Martinez (57th, 33:11), and Alex Lozano (59th, 45:23 in his first-ever cross country race) rounded out the Crimson Pride lineup. Luke Neibert was forced to retire early due to a medical issue but is expected to return soon as he eyes his brother's 8K school record.
Head Coach Tim Hoeflinger praised the effort while noting the room for growth: "The first race of the season always brings mixed results, but today gives us a great starting point. I am confident that with a couple more racing opportunities, we will begin to see big improvements in our team."
Next Up: The Crimson Pride return to action on Saturday, September 27, at the Fiercely Faithful Justin Spoon Invitational hosted by Asbury University, where they'll look to build on the momentum from their season-opening performances. Both meets are set to start at 10:30 AM.
