The Case Western Reserve University men's cross country team won the 2024 All-Ohio Division III Championship on Friday evening at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course in Cedarville, Ohio.

CWRU finished with 52 points in the Division III standings to place first out of the 14 DIII teams in attendance at the meet. The Spartans were followed in the standings by Otterbein (71), Ohio Northern (91), Kenyon (134), and Wooster (143). CWRU also placed fourth in the overall standings with 135 points behind Rio Grande (69), Cedarville (108), and Shawnee State (116), and ahead of Malone (151).

Senior Aidan Nathan was the Spartans' top finisher for the third time in as many races this season, crossing the finish line seventh overall out of 432 competitors and second among 196 Division III runners in the men's 8K with a time of 25:18.9. Sophomore Jacob Slater and first-year Adam Esa (each competing for the first time this season) finished second and third, respectively, among Spartans, with Slater finishing 26th overall and eighth among DIII runners with a time of 26:07.3 and Esa crossing the line 26th overall and ninth among DIII runners with a time of 26:14.7. Completing CWRU's five scorers were senior Michael Lombardi, who was 38th overall and 13th in DIII with a time of 26:19.4 and first-year Donovan Crowley, who was 58th overall and 20th in DIII with a time of 26:34.2.

Sophomores Seth Tivakaran (88th overall, 30th DIII, 27:00.0) and Owen Schessler (89th overall, 31st DIII, 27:01.6) rounded out CWRU's top seven on Friday. Other Spartan finishers on Friday included senior Nate Gilbert (108th overall, 40th DIII, 27:14.0), first-year Lucas Siepser (112th overall, 42nd DIII, 27:15.8), graduate student Liam O'Reilly (118th overall, 46th DIII, 27:19.3), junior Ethan Richter (123rd overall, 50th DIII, 27:23.8), senior Luke Kishna (148th overall, 60th DIII, 27:47.4), first-year Brendan Bradish (150th overall, 61st DIII, 27:48.8), senior Victor Nash (151st overall, 62nd DIII, 27:49.3), first-year Paul Salah (157th overall, 65th DIII, 27:52.4), graduate student Matthew Smutny (175th overall, 74th DIII, 28:07.0), senior Hans Holst (181st overall, 77th DIII, 28:10.1), first-year Will Larson (186th overall, 80th DIII, 28:11.6), junior Nathan Webb (200th overall, 88th DIII, 28:26.0), sophomore Praveen Sureshkumar (205th overall, 91st DIII, 28:32.1), first-year George Wood-Leness (206th overall, 92nd DIII, 28:32.9), junior Ben Smith (208th overall, 93rd DIII, 28:34.4), first-year Eli Stodard (288th overall, 134th DIII, 29:36.9), junior Danny Becker (295th overall, 138th DIII, 29:46.3), graduate student Arjun Thillairajah (304th overall, 141st DIII, 30:00.4), sophomore Joseph Rivello (304th overall, 141st DIII, 30:22.9), and junior Nathaniel Hahn (334th overall, 156th DIII, 30:46.1).

Simon Heys, an unattached runner, won the men's 8K race with a time of 24:23.7.  Wilmington's Noah Tobin was the top Division III finisher with a time of 24:38.8.

The Spartans will be off next week before returning to action on Friday, October 4 at the Ohio Wesleyan Invitational at Liberty Park in Powell, Ohio.

Spartan Notes

• CWRU Head Coach Kathy Lanese Yohann was awarded the Marv Frye Award for distinguished service for the sport of cross country in Ohio at the meet on Friday. Lanese Yohann became the first woman to ever win the award.

• This was the fourth time that CWRU has won the men's All-Ohio Division III Championship and the first time since 2013. CWRU also won the DIII Championship in 2012 and 2008 and won the college championship in 1992 and 1993.