Yellowjackets Cap Season with Conference Effort at Heart Championships

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Nov. 8, 2025 — The Graceland University men's cross country team wrapped up its 2025 campaign with a 14th-place finish at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships on Saturday. The meet, hosted by Mount Mercy University, featured a full field of 14 conference programs and concluded the Yellowjackets' competitive season.

Graceland recorded a team score of 394 points, placing just behind Culver-Stockton (384). The meet was won decisively by Park University, who placed five runners in the top 12 to secure the team title with 25 points. Mount Mercy (36 points) and Benedictine (61 points) rounded out the top three.

Rene Romero led Graceland's efforts, finishing 71st overall with a time of 29:24.9 over the 8-kilometer course. He was followed by Xavier Rangel (74th, 29:44.6), Isaac Ramirez (82nd, 31:24.9), Moses Ridley (83rd, 31:40.1), and Ethan Ingram (84th, 32:11.5) to complete the Yellowjackets' scoring five.

Also competing for Graceland were Fidher Ramirez (87th, 34:34.1) and Matthew Patience (88th, 36:02.8).

Despite the finish, the team continued to demonstrate resolve in a competitive field that included several nationally ranked runners. Graceland's average team time was 30:57, with Romero and Rangel the only athletes finishing under the 30-minute mark.

"This was a season focused on development and team identity," said head coach Tom Shore. "The group maintained effort through every meet and embraced the work required to compete at this level. While we didn't place where we hoped, the experience gained is essential for our long-term progress."

The race also concluded the conference portion of the 2025 schedule, during which Graceland competed against Heart of America opponents at multiple meets throughout the fall. Cross country does not maintain a traditional win-loss record, but this was the Yellowjackets' only official conference-scored event of the season.

As the final race of the year, the Heart Championships offered a clear benchmark for the program heading into the offseason. Park University swept the top three individual positions, led by Caden Peters (24:37.1), followed closely by teammates Cayden Walker and Tom Kuehnel, as the Pirates demonstrated dominant front-running tactics.

The Yellowjackets will now transition into their winter training phase, preparing for the 2026 outdoor track and next cross country seasons with a focus on endurance capacity and racing strength.

This meet marked the final competition of the 2025 season for Graceland.

For more information on Graceland cross country and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com