TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Junior star Isaac vanWestrienen crushed Cornell's 8K program record and placed third overall in an elite men's field at the John McNichols Invitational Saturday on a foggy LaVern Gibson Championships Cross Country Course.
 
VanWestrienen beat 463 competitors in a high-profile race comprised of 37 teams from all college divisions. He covered the 8-kilometer layout in a swift 24:19, knocking off 27 seconds from his previous-best time set at regionals a year ago. 
 
VanWestrienen ran in 13th place at the 3K mark and gained ground down the stretch. He finished behind overall champion and 2023 all-American Nathan Tassey (23:57) of Roger Williams and UW-La Crosse's Grant Matthai (24:13).
 
The No. 7 regionally-ranked Rams stepped up to the competition collectively, placing 12th out of 27 teams in the men's open division with 305 points. Coach Jerry Frawley's squad defeated a pair of schools receiving national votes in Colorado College (13th) and Hope (14th).
 
Cornell finished behind 10 nationally-ranked Division III teams. Top-ranked UW-La Crosse won the title with 46 points, followed by No. 2 Wartburg with 72.
 
Senior Gabe Hunt recorded a huge PR for the Rams, bringing in Cornell's second score with a time of 25:32. He placed 71st overall.
 
Fisher Isaacson ran well, crossing in 100th with a mark of 25:45. Cornell's scoring five included Noah Lutzke in 162nd (26:14) and Caleb Schopen in 170th (26:17).
 
Isaak Hutchings was 204th (26:33) and Tyler Bilskie 230th (26:47). Both finish in the top half of the field.
 
Coming up – The Rams are back in action Oct. 5 at the Running of the Cows Invitational in Northfield, Minn.