Taylor University cross country is back in business and as dominant as ever, and the men’s side is speeding toward their final competitions in stride.
Ranked No. 8 in the nation, the Jarheads are one of three Crossroads League teams in the top 10, slotting in right behind No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan and No. 6 Spring Arbor.
The team’s well-balanced roster and teamwork have paid off this season over their three competitions. Opening the season at the annual Indiana Wesleyan Twilight Invitational, the Trojans opened up the year with a first-place finish, beating rival IWU by 17 points and opening 21-0.
Junior Joel Mumaw nailed a personal best in the 8k with a time of 25:16.6, good enough for sixth place and the top Jarhead in the competition. Taylor kept a tight pack during the race as sophomore Nathan Burns, junior Luke Harber and junior Ryan Hanak finished not far behind in eighth, 10th and 13th, respectively.
Their second event of the season was at the Mizzou Gans Creek Classic, where Taylor took a solid eighth place while racing NCAA opponents and multiple Top 25 NAIA teams.
Harber took home a career-defining performance, sneaking below the 25-minute mark with a clutch 24:59.9 finish, good enough for 32nd place, while Burns also finished in the top 50, slotting in at number 47.
Taylor launched back into another top-three finish at the Ray Bullock Invitational, hosting their annual event at the TU Cross Country Farm in Upland. Taylor ended with a second-place finish, only finishing behind Indiana Wesleyan by 20 points, but finished far ahead of third-place Grace with a 30-point lead and crushing fourth-place Lindsay Wilson by 118 points.
Harber once again continued his career season finishing third individually with a time of 25:33.9, while Hanak found his way into his first top-ten finish of the year, slotting in sixth place with a time of 25:53.9.
Only Indiana Wesleyan, with four runners in the top 10 and seven in the top 20, outpaced Taylor, who had finished with five runners in the top 20.
Now sitting with a record of 50-8, Taylor has three major events remaining on the year, starting with the NAIA Great Lakes Classic in Grand Rapids on Oct. 26 to end the regular season.
Their postseason competitions will be as competitive as ever. They will host the Crossroads League Championships, where Taylor will hope to upset IWU for their first conference championship since 2021 and face Spring Arbor and #RV Goshen, as well as Grace and Marian, who have given CL teams a run for their money.
Their season will conclude by heading once again to the NAIA National Championships in Columbus, MO, where the Jarheads will look to win their second-ever national title.
