Results

TACOMA, Wash. — Knowing the ins and outs of the PLU Meadows Course played to Kai Sorensen's advantage on Saturday, finishing inside the top 25 and helping the Pacific Lutheran University men's cross country squad to a ninth place showing at 2025 PLU Invitational.
 
"It was great to get out there today and have all nine of the conference teams visit us in our own backyard (literally)," said Head Coach Francis Reynolds.
 
"We didn't know what to expect from the teams, as it was the first 8K of the season for men. We practiced being aggressive at the start of the race earlier this week in practice, and we were pleased to see how both teams got out in the first mile. We lost a little bit of focus and competitiveness in the middle of the race, but that comes with the territory of not having raced in three weeks."

The Lutes were racing at the 8,000 kilometer distance for the first time this season with Sorensen navigating the home course n 26 minutes, 36.1 seconds to place 24th overall.

Noah Friedrich was 53rd overall in 27:40.8 while Corder Janes finished his first-ever collegiate 8K in 28:59.7, placing 97th. Daniel Zimmer and Isaiah Bradley rounded out PLU's scoring five, finishing less than two seconds apart. Zimmer was 106th in 29:17.2 while Bradley trailed in 108th in 29:19.0. 

Justin Garrett was 120th in 29:59.1 while Corban Piper was 134th in 30:53.7.
 
The Lutes finished ninth in the team standings with 213 points, finishing a bakers' dozen behind in-state rival The Evergreen State College. Northwest Conference rival George Fox University won the team title with a score of 39 with Lewis & Clark College earning a runner-up finish with a score of 87.  

Whitworth University's London Haley was the top individual finisher, looping the course in 24:54.6.

"We look forward to the next several weeks of training and competing, where we can improve upon our performances today. We will be ready to go when we host the conference championships in six weeks!"

The Lutes lace up the spikes in two weeks, competing at the Whitman Open on October 4 in Walla Walla, Washington.