RIO GRANDE, Ohio — WVU Tech cross country turned in a strong performance at the 2025 River States Conference Championships on Saturday, highlighted by six personal records across both the men's and women's races. The Golden Bears battled through cool, damp conditions and a deep field on the rolling course across from Bob Evans Farms, closing the team portion of their season on a high note.
Men's Recap
Sophomore Evan McElwayne (Clarksburg, W.Va./Notre Dame HS) led the Golden Bears with a 23rd-place finish in 26:57.34 for 8K — his second-fastest collegiate mark and a consistent follow-up to his 26:34 season best.
Freshman Jan Fasius Ponsa (Manresa, Spain/Instituto Pius Font i Quer) followed in 29:04.72, while freshman Eli Jordan (Daniels, W.Va./Shady Spring HS) crossed in 29:45.97. Fellow freshmen Travis Anderson (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood HS) and Chucky Jordan (Lake City, S.C./Lake City HS) rounded out the scoring five, both clocking career-best times at 30:04.78 and 30:44.44, respectively.
Senior Christian Saffouri (Beckley, W.Va./Woodrow Wilson HS) and senior Samuel Whitcomb (Waynesboro, Va./Waynesboro HS) wrapped up their final conference appearances in 30:47.56 and 31:14.32, while junior Cade Curfman (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood HS) at 34:02.74 and freshman Ethan Cavender (Saint Albans, W.Va./Saint Albans HS) at 34:26.53 completed the lineup.
WVU Tech placed sixth overall with 205 points behind champion Rio Grande (38), runner-up Indiana East (42) and third-place Shawnee State (60).
Women's Recap
The Golden Bear women entered four runners in the 6K race, producing four strong finishes and a pair of major personal bests.
Sophomore Lexie Wikel (Mullens, W.Va./Wyoming East HS) paced Tech in 25:52.92, cutting nearly three minutes from her previous best. Sophomore Peyton Asbury (Hampshire County, W.Va./Hampshire HS) followed in 29:39.87, breaking the 30-minute mark for the first time in her collegiate career.
Freshmen Rebecca H. Lorincz (Daniels, W.Va./Victory Baptist Academy) and Jadyn Farmer (Shady Spring, W.Va./Shady Spring HS) both closed their first championship outings with steady efforts of 30:27.39 and 30:41.31, rounding out an encouraging team performance to end the fall.
What's Next
While the River States Conference meet concludes WVU Tech's team cross country schedule, several Golden Bears will extend their season at the NAIA Marathon Classic, set for Sunday, December 14, in Dallas, Texas.
Evan McElwayne, Jan Fasius Ponsa, Samuel Whitcomb, and Peyton Asbury each qualified for the national event and will represent the Golden Bears among the NAIA's top distance runners — a fitting finish to a season defined by steady progress, teamwork, and Golden Bear pride.
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