CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois men's and women's cross country teams are set to begin the 2025 season at home with the Fighting Illini Invitational at the Orange and Blue Golf Course in Savoy, Ill. on Friday (Aug. 29). The women begin their 4k at 11 a.m. CT, and the men start their 6k at 11:30 a.m. CT.
This is the first of three regular season meets the Illini will run, with the other two being at Notre Dame on Oct. 3 and at Missouri on Oct. 18. The postseason begins with the Big Ten Championships on Oct. 31 in East Lansing, Mich. followed by the NCAA Midwest Regionals on Nov. 14 in Stillwater, Okla. before concluding the season with the NCAA Championships back in Columbia, Mo.
Illinois cross country's head coach Eric Johannigmeier is returning for his second year after having the men's team finish ninth out of 15 in the Big Ten Championships and eighth out of 29 in the NCAA Midwest Regionals. On the women's side they finished 10th out of 18 in the Big Ten Championships and eighth out of 33 in the NCAA Midwest Regionals with Halle Hill, who earned Second-Team All-Big Ten honors and qualified to the NCAA Championships.
The Fighting Illini women's roster features returning junior Avril Andre, who placed 14th at the NCAA Midwest Regionals (20:16.5), and will be joined by freshmen Jane Lynch and Stella Davis. Lynch was a 3x All-State and 4x All-Conference while at Loyola Academy in Winnetka, Ill. Davis was a 1x All-State and 4x All-Conference while at Evanston Township in Evanston, Ill. On the men's side they have returning graduate student Joshua Daggett, who finished 43rd in the NCAA Midwest Regional and set a new personal best at 30:34.8 in the 10k.
