Clayton Messerle

Pictured: senior Jack Gladfelter

Men's Cross Country 10/17/2026 3:47:00 PM Clayton Messerle, Assistant Athletic Director

Gladfelter Smashes Personal/Program Records, Captures George Oja Invite Individual Title for No. 23 Warriors

INDEPENDENCE, Ore. – The No. 23-ranked Corban University men's cross country team concluded its regular season schedule on Saturday morning at the George Oja Linfield Invitational, producing a mixed bag of results as the Warriors received standout performances at the front of their lineup but continued searching for the team depth needed ahead of the postseason. Corban finished 13th in a talented 32-team field that featured NCAA DI, DII, DIII, NAIA, and junior college competition.

To view the complete results from the men's 8k race today in Independence, click HERE.

"With the runners that we did have competing today, I am happy with how we did," began Warriors' head coach Stuart Eagon. "We were without our number three, four, and five runners today, as our focus is on conference and national and not on meets that don't directly impact our season's finish. Today was a huge win for Jack, as he rebounded immediately after suffering the unfortunate result at Bush Park two weeks ago. Watching him battle Jake Ritte, one of the best 10k/half marathon runners in the country, all the way to the tape was incredible to watch. Winning a race like this against top DI and DIII athletes sets him up very well for winning our postseason races. His fitness is at a different level than it has ever been right now. Meanwhile, our number six, seven, and eight guys stepped up and had far better races than a few weeks ago. With the rest of our lineup back in the mix, I like our chances of being competitive at the conference championships here soon. Praise God for Jack's win and for a good day for our team!"

Senior All-American Jack Gladfelter delivered another statement performance for the Warriors, capturing the individual championship in the 8,000-meter race with an all-time personal best time of 23:26.0, smashing his program record by over 23 seconds. Gladfelter topped a field of nearly 400 runners and edged unattached runner Jake Ritter by six-tenths of a second to claim the victory, becoming the lone Corban runner to finish inside the top 20.

As a team, Corban placed 13th with 347 points. NCAA DI Portland captured the team championship with 48 points, followed by Western Oregon (72), George Fox (156), Eastern Washington (166), and Seattle U. (173). The Warriors finished ahead of numerous regional competitors but were unable to close the gap between their front-runners and the remainder of the scoring lineup, an area that will remain a focus heading into championship season.

The race's top five individual finishers included Gladfelter (23:26.0), Jake Ritter (23:26.6), unattached Monyebodi Kgadi (23:38.5), Western Oregon University's Matthew Resnik (23:39.5), and Luther University's Michel Heinrich (23:51.7).

Corban's second finisher was freshman Carson Buergey, who continued his impressive season with a personal-best mark of 24:23.3 and a 25th-place finish. Sophomore Logan Mason crossed the line next in 25:46.2, while sophomore Kai Kearns added a personal-best effort of 26:15.7. Sophomore Samuel Bonsell recorded a season-best 26:27.6, and freshman Wyatt Nickell posted a personal record of 27:26.4. Freshman Caleb McDowell followed in 27:40.8, while sophomores Stephen Crover (28:09.7) and Ethan DeyArmin (28:28.6) each notched personal-best performances. Junior Talan Warkentin also earned a personal best in 28:30.4, followed by freshman Tristyn Burgeson (30:06.5) and senior Jamin Potloff (31:13.2).

Despite the uneven team result, the Warriors leave the regular season with optimism thanks to Gladfelter's individual victory and a number of personal-best performances throughout the roster. Corban will now shift its full attention to championship season, where the Warriors will look to put together their most complete team race of the year against the conference's top programs.

Next up for Corban is the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships on November 6th, where the Warriors will seek to qualify for the 2026 NAIA National Championships and demonstrate the form that has kept them among the nation's ranked programs throughout the season.