Publish Date


The UIS men's cross country team delivered an outstanding performance at the Hy-Vee Prairie Stars Invitational, finishing in first place as a team and showcasing impressive depth across their lineup in their season opener. 

Race Recap
  • UIS runners took eight of the top 12 individual spots, amassing a total of 21 points to secure the team title
  • Newcomer Isaac Cortes led the way for UIS, finishing in 2nd place overall with a time of 21:53.11 for 7K
  • Not far behind was Briar Nevills, who crossed the line in 4th place with a time of 21:57.81. Zach Panek (5th, 22:02.68), Brock Loftus (6th, 22:04.48), and Ryan Jones (8th, 22:10.04) rounded out the top finishers, giving the Prairie Stars a commanding team performance
  • The Prairie Stars defeated conference opponents including Missouri-St. Louis, Truman State, and Maryville
  • The scoring UIS runners had a 17-second spread

Results
Student-Athlete Result Place
Isaac Cortes 21:53.11 2
Briar Nevills 21:57.81 4
Zach Panek 22:02.68 5
Brock Loftus 22:04.48 6
Ryan Jones 22:10.04 8
Brendan Cairney 22:16.57 10
Nathan DeMarb 22:31.32 11
Balin Doud 22:34.07 12
Joey Karlesky 22:38.93 15
Matt Padilla 22:52.22 21
Aidan Donohue 22:55.55 22
Daniel Giacomini 22:56.13 23
Finn Loken 23:02.39 27
Dom Cantarini 23:09.52 30
Gabe Martinez 23:23.69 35
Garrett Wagoner 23:52.28 53
Lucas Naugle 24:05.38 60
Ayden Groves 24:23.69 72
Carson Cowling 24:55.99 83

Up Next
UIS will compete next at Indiana State's John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute Ind. on Sept. 21.