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GRACELAND UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS
Yellowjackets Wrap 2025 Season at Heart of America Championships

Yellowjackets Wrap 2025 Season at Heart of America Championships

Results

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The Graceland University women's cross country team concluded its 2025 campaign with a 13th-place finish at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championships, held Saturday, Nov. 8, at Seminole Valley Cross Country Course in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Yellowjackets totaled 336 points in the 6-kilometer race, showing season-best compression and execution.

Graceland focused its postseason strategy on pack cohesion and late-race pacing, resulting in the tightest scoring split of the season. Alissa Caruso led the way with a 47-point effort, placing 47th overall in 24:20.6. She was followed by Caitlin Grover, who placed 62nd (25:38.3). Sierra Davenport (26:29.6) and Lidya Haile (27:08.5) were next, while Thayadorra Echavarria sealed the scoring in 28:13.1. Christine Burke also completed the race for the Yellowjackets, finishing in 31:20.5, but did not factor into the team's final scoring total. Graceland's top five finished within 3 minutes and 53 seconds — the program's best spread of the fall.

Graceland's Top Six at the Heart Championships:

Graceland edged Missouri Valley (14th, 425 points) and trailed Clarke (12th, 320 points) in the final team standings. The Heart of America fielded 14 teams, with Benedictine (Kan.) capturing the conference championship behind a 30-point showing led by four runners in the top 10.

No Yellowjackets finished in the top 50, but all five scorers contributed to the team's best tactical race of the season.

"This group made strides this year in terms of team cohesion and racing strategy," said Head Coach Tom Shore. "We knew coming into this season that we were developing with a long-term mindset. What we saw today was proof that our runners are buying into pacing, building strength over distance, and representing Graceland with pride."

Graceland's regular-season campaign included six meets against NAIA and NCAA programs throughout the Midwest. Although the NAIA does not track dual or win/loss records in cross country, Graceland made steady progress with each race, particularly in individual time drops and team spread metrics.

The 2025 Heart Championships marked season-best 6K times for Davenport, Haile, and Echavarria, capping a fall focused on aerobic development and tactical improvement. With Caruso and Grover expected to return, the Yellowjackets will enter the offseason aiming to build on their gains in tempo work, long-run consistency, and injury prevention.

Graceland concludes its fall season with no runners advancing to the NAIA National Championships, but with positive signs across both returning depth and developmental upside.

Graceland's next scheduled cross country competition will be the 2026 Maple Leaf Invitational, held in Lamoni, Iowa, next September.

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