James Holloway/WVU Tech

Golden Bears eye strong showing at RSC meet

11/7/2025 5:09:00 PM

Women's and Men's Cross Country

RIO GRANDE, Ohio — WVU Tech cross country turns its focus to championship season Saturday when the Golden Bears compete at the 2025 River States Conference Championships hosted by the University of Rio Grande. The women's 6K begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by the men's 8K at 11:30 a.m. Live results will be available through goldenbearathletics.com/coverage.

The course winds through the open fields across from Bob Evans Farms and features long straights, light rolling elevation and wide-cut grass paths. The men will race two full loops, while the women take on one large loop and a shorter secondary loop. Tri State Racer will provide timing with mile and 5K splits for both races.

The RSC will again use a traditional scoring format: five scorers per team, with sixth and seventh runners displacing. All-Conference honors will be awarded to runners finishing first through 21st, and the top four individuals not on a qualifying team may advance to the NAIA National Championships if they place inside the top 15 overall.

Men's Preview

Projected Lineup

Evan McElwayne (So.)
Jan Fasius Ponsa (Fr.)
Christian Saffouri (Sr.)
Eli Jordan (Fr.)
Travis Anderson (Fr.)
Samuel Whitcomb (Sr.)
Chucky Jordan (Fr.)
Ethan Cavender (Fr.)
Cade Curfman (Jr.)

The Golden Bears bring one of their deepest lineups of recent years into Saturday's race. Sophomore Evan McElwayne leads the group after a major performance at the Jenna Strong Fall Classic, running a career-best 26:34.1 that placed him 36th on the RSC performance list. His steady fall progression positions him within reach of a potential All-Conference finish if the race breaks correctly.

Behind him, freshman Jan Fasius Ponsa has shown consistent improvement, clocking 28:04.2 last week for his best collegiate effort. First-years Eli Jordan and Travis Anderson have also surged in recent weeks, each producing their fastest 8K times at Wilmington.

Veterans Christian Saffouri and Samuel Whitcomb offer key experience in the middle and back scoring spots, and both enter the meet off season-best showings. Freshmen Chucky Jordan and Ethan Cavender, along with junior Cade Curfman, round out the lineup.

The men's field is among the strongest in the conference in recent years, with Rio Grande, IU East and Shawnee State entering with some of the region's top individual performances. WVU Tech will look to run as a tight pack and challenge for team positioning in the middle of the standings, emphasizing compression between its second through sixth runners.

Women's Preview

Projected Lineup

Lexie Wikel (So.)
Peyton Asbury (So.)
Rebecca H. Lorincz (Fr.)
Jadyn Farmer (Fr.)
Abigail Holley (So.)

WVU Tech will field a full women's squad for the first time this season as the Golden Bears turn toward a rebuilding year with several newcomers in the lineup. Sophomore Lexie Wikel leads the team following her breakout performance at the Jenna Strong Fall Classic, where she clocked 21:14.5, a significant personal best that placed her 49th in the RSC performance list.

Peyton Asbury produced her fastest collegiate XC time last week (23:37.0) and continues to make consistent progress since the season opener.

Freshmen Rebecca H. Lorincz and Jadyn Farmer will make their collegiate debuts, and sophomore Abigail Holley, who previously competed in throws for the Golden Bears, will race cross country for the first time. The emphasis for the women centers on establishing a complete scoring five and gaining championship-level experience ahead of the upcoming track and field season.

The women's race features strong front-running groups from Rio Grande, Shawnee State, IU East and IU Kokomo, each of which carries multiple athletes ranked inside the top 30 of the RSC lists.