SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The No. 28 Loras College men's cross country team outperformed its national ranking with a 24th-place finish at the NCAA Division III National Championships on Saturday, highlighted by two All-American performances. On the women's side, freshman Keelee Leitzen closed her nationals debut with a top-60 finish and the fourth-highest freshman placing in the field.

Senior Isaac Bourne led the men with his efforts, placing 14th in 24:14.3 to earn the first All-American honor of his cross country career. Bourne improved 89 places from last year's national finish, capping his senior season strong.

"It was great to see him put himself up with the nation's best and battle," said head coach Ethan Adlfinger. "There are 15–20 guys who could beat each other in different orders if the race were run 10 times, so I was glad to see him finish in the top 15 and achieve NCAA All-American status."

Senior Eric Rutherford followed in 36th, clocking 24:38.8 and earning his first career All-American honor as well. He improved an astounding 226 places from last season, finishing as the eighth runner from the Midwest Region, three spots higher than his regional finish—and the fifth-best conference finisher, a six-spot improvement from the A-R-C meet.

"He ran a perfect race to become an All-American. It'll be an example I use for athletes in the future on how to perfectly race the national meet."

Three first-time national competitors rounded out Loras' scoring lineup. Colby Cryer placed 232nd, followed by Ryan McGrath in 238th. McGrath overcame an early setback when his shoe was stepped on and he had to stop mid-race to put it back on.

Logan Hoger finished 276th, continuing a strong progression through his first collegiate postseason.

"He ran a great first nationals race. I've been very proud of his progression and to race at nationals and be a difference-maker on a national-qualifying team is a huge accomplishment."

Sophomore Aiden Ruiz completed the Duhawk lineup in 289th.

Jack Beehler, who had been running well early, was unable to finish after being stepped on mid-race, which tore open his spike and caused his ankle to roll.

"Nationals can be a brutal race where the worst unexpectedly happens. I feel horrible for him, but I was happy with his attitude and maturity in handling a unique situation."

Loras' 24th-place finish topped its pre-meet ranking of No. 28.

"I challenged the team to be at our best at the end of the year and to be proud of the way they raced. I believe they accomplished that and have a lot to be proud of when they look back on the 2025 season and national meet."

On the women's side, Leitzen placed 59th in 22:20.2, earning the highest finish among conference athletes and posting the fourth-best time among all freshmen in the race.

"I was very happy with how she competed today, the women's weather was especially challenging being sunny and hot, but she was a fierce competitor."

Leitzen delivered exactly the race plan laid out for her.

"For her first nationals, she gained valuable experience that will set her up for a great career ahead. She put herself into the race exactly how I asked, and today that meant 59th, but doing that now is going to set her up for great races in future years."

Adlfinger noted that nationals was not the primary focus early on in the season.

"Many don't know this, but nationals wasn't something we talked about much until October. Coming off injury and transferring, the main goals were to get healthy, stay healthy, and have fun with the sport. She's a tremendous runner, and I believed she would be a national-caliber athlete, but I didn't want to force that early."

By midseason, the breakthrough became clear.

"I felt by the second half of the season she and I were on the same page, and great results followed, like winning conference and being All-Region. I'm looking forward to her career ahead at Loras, this was just the tip of the iceberg, and I can't wait to see all of her successes in the years to come."

This meet marks the end of the cross country season for both the Loras men and women.