RIVER FOREST, Ill. – It's time for the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's cross country team to step foot on the course and race into the 2025 season. Before competition begins tomorrow, catch up on last season what the squad has coming up this fall.

Last Season
To begin last season, CUC hosted their first home meet in almost two decades, with the NPU/CUC Early Invitational on August 30. Ariel Martinez (Berwyn, Ill.) led the squad with a 13^th place finish while Tegan Oas (Shingle Springs, Calif.) followed closely behind in 19^th with a personal record.

Two weeks later, the Cougars traveled to Mequon, Wis. for the Ken Weid Classic, where multiple Cougars set personal bests, as the squad finished ninth of 14 teams. Martinez and Oas led the way again for women, while Breanna Walters (Poplar Grove, Ill.), Addi McKee (Knoxville, Ill.), and Ciara Parsons (Whitmore Lake, Mich.) each picked up PR's.

A week later, the teams traveled to Wheaton, Ill. for the Gil Dodds Invitational. The Cougars put in a strong performance, once again setting multiple PRs.

Next up was the Brissman-Lundeen Invitational in Rock Island, Ill. Martinez picked up a top-20 finish to lead the team to a seventh place finish.

In the final meet before the Northern Athletic Collegiate (NACC) Championships, the squad ran at the Bradley Pink Classic in Peoria, Ill. Martinez once again led the way with Walters and Parsons also picking up PRs.

At the NACC Championships, held in Geneva, Ill., the women's squad finished seventh of 13 teams with Martinez and Oas leading the way.

The season concluded at the NCAA DIII Midwest Regional Championship held in Rock Island, Ill. The women's team finished 26^th of 28 teams, with Martinez and Oas finishing off impressive careers leading the team to the line.

Coach Dvorak
This season, the Cougars will be under the direction of newly appointed head coach, Chris Dvorak. He brings coaching expertise that spans multiple states and programs. Most recently, he served as the Head Boys and Girls Track Coach at Indian Creek High School in Shabbona, Ill. Dvorak had this to say about heading the program: "As a new collegiate head coach I am feeling really well supported. My fellow track coaches, the athletics department and the university have been supportive and helpful learning a new role. I am also incredibly blessed with my crew of runners, they are friendly, receptive, and supportive to one another. I couldn't have picked a better group."

Returning Athletes
McKee, Parsons, Walters, and Lydia Anderson (Carpentersville, Ill.) all make their return to the Cougars.

New Faces
Two new runners will join the women's team, including Rose Losey (Royal Oak, Mich.) and Amya Marquez (Berwyn, Ill.).

A Look Ahead
The season kicks off tomorrow, August 29^th, with the NPU/CUC Early Invitational, which the Cougars are co-hosting with North Park University. Two weeks later, the Cougars will head to the Spartan XC Classic. Then on September 20^th, CUC travels to Warrenville, Ill. for the Gil Dodds Invitational.

To kick off October, the Cougars will be in West Allis, Wis., on the 4^th, for the 25^th Annual Warrior Cross Country Invitational, hosted by fellow NACC school Wisconsin Lutheran College. The last meet in October will be on the 18^th. CUC will run at the 5^th Annual Interregional Invitational.

It all leads up to the NACC Cross Country Championships, which will be hosted on November 1^st in Green Bay, Wis. Then the NCAA DIII Midwest Regional Championships will be held on November 15^th in Waverly, Iowa.

"I am excited for the amount of buy in I have already experienced and the goals we have set," Dvorak said. "They are looking to achieve new heights as a team and individuals. This season is going to be about building from past successes and struggles. On the men's side we want to place our pack of runners where they can get those middle places and disrupt the groupings of other teams. For the women we want to keep pushing on the successes laid out by our upper classmen last year while building up our new talent to fill in the ranks."

CUC Women's Cross Country begins the 2025 campaign tomorrow, August 29th, at the NPU / CUC Early Invitational, which is being held at Schiller Woods in Chicago. The women's team race at 4 p.m., while the men begin at 4:45 p.m. Coverage for the meet as well as anything related to Concordia cross country can be found at cucougars.com.