Leavenworth, Kan.—Spire XC had a huge Saturday as USM hosted the 2025 Men's and Women's Cross-Country Championships today, November 8^th as both teams came away hugely successful and punched their ticket for futher post-season action.

Josie Tyrrell, the newest KCAC meet record and course record holder, and the women's Spire XC team made their mark in the daunting 6K conference race by finishing second overall this Saturday with senior leader Tyrrell easily taking first place out of the 102 KCAC competitors, cruising past every other women's XC athlete with a finish of 21:40. Spire teammates Abigail White, Serenity Desrosier Larson, Carly Holadia, Ava Klassen, Liv Lohf, and Mesa Casper giving it their all for USM finishing 4^th (22:46), 5^th (22:46), 8^th (23:03), 14^th  (23:46), 20^th (24:10) and 24^th (24:28) respectively. The Spire women took second place overall in the final conference meet before nationals, just barely falling to the Kansas Wesleyan Coyotes with an overall team score of 27-31.
 
The Spire men's and women's XC teams are now gearing up to face their biggest challenge yet, the NAIA Cross-Country National Championships at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee, Florida on Friday, November 21^st to decide the best of the best for the 2025 season.