A Season of Growth: Wolfpack Men’s Cross Country Closes 2025 Campaign
Bemidji, MN – The Oak Hills Christian College men's cross country team put together a season defined by steady growth, personal bests, and a strong finish on the national stage, highlighting a year of development under Coach Randy McKain.
The Wolfpack opened the season focused on building consistency and gaining valuable race experience, competing in meets across Minnesota and the Midwest. Early races provided a foundation for the team, as runners adjusted to the demands of the collegiate 8k distance and began to establish their pacing and strategy.
As the season progressed, the Wolfpack showed clear improvement across the board. At the St. Olaf "Haunted Hustle on the Hill," the team battled through a challenging course, using the meet as a stepping stone toward championship racing. The following week at St. John's University, Oak Hills continued to build momentum in a shorter race that helped sharpen speed heading into the postseason.
The Wolfpack delivered one of their strongest performances of the season at the NCCAA Super Region meet in Dubuque, Iowa. Noah Larson (Park Rapids, MN) led the way with a top-15 finish, earning qualification for the NCCAA National Championship. Teammates continued to trend upward as well, with Silas Briggs (Medford, WI) turning in a personal record performance—improving his time by approximately 30 seconds—and Jay Mutazindwa (Gaithersburg, MD) continuing to gain confidence and experience in his first collegiate season.
The season culminated at the NCCAA National Championship, where Larson capped off an outstanding year with a top-25 finish while improving his time by over 45 seconds from his previous mark. His performance represented Oak Hills on the national stage and highlighted the growth of the program throughout the season.
"The week before the first race at St. Olaf, we had been talking, as a team, about the times needed to qualify for Nationals. Not knowing how well he [Noah Larson] could run in a collegiate competition, I wasn't sure how he would do. After he finished, he came to me and said; 'Coach, I did it!'
He kept 'doing it' over the next several races and continued to improve. This helped provide a spark for the rest of the team, and we saw everyone consistently improve at every race," said Head Coach Randy McKain.
Throughout the season, the Wolfpack emphasized perseverance, discipline, and team unity. Multiple runners recorded personal bests, and the program took meaningful steps forward in both confidence and competitiveness.
With a strong foundation in place and a group of returning athletes continuing to develop, the future is bright for Oak Hills Christian College cross country.