HOUGHTON — Following a successful season under first-year head coach Robert Young, the Michigan Tech Huskies cross country squads impressed with an automatic qualifier for the men’s team with a third-place team finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional as the women’s team rounded out the season fifth at the GLIAC Championships and 14th overall at the regional meet.

In total, the Huskies racked up multiple postseason awards, including nine student-athletes named to the USTFCCCA All-Academic Athletes, six on the men’s side (Callen Carrier, Michael Dennis, Sam Lange, Colman Lenci, Michael Marshall, Tucker Ringhand) and three on the women’s side (Claire Endres, Cedar Gordon, Sophia Rhein). 

The Huskies also earned team accolades from USTFCCCA as both the men’s and women’s teams were tabbed to the USTFCCCA All-Academic teams, with the men’s team having a 3.53 cumulative GPA, which was among the top-15 in the nation, as the women’s team recorded an outstanding 3.8 cumulative GPA which ranks top 10 among Division II.

On the cross country course, the Huskies enjoyed six all-conference performers led by Lange on the men’s side, earning first team All-GLIAC following his sixth-place finish. Dennis (18th place), Ringhand (19th place) and Lenci (25th place) earned second team All-GLIAC for the men’s squad. Sophomore standout Rhein (11th place) and veteran Gordon (23rd place) earned All-GLIAC second team honors for the women’s team.

Lange and Lenci followed up their efforts at the conference meet with All-Region Accolades two weeks later, as the duo cracked the top-30 at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships. Lange was the Huskies’ low-stick, placing 12th overall with Lenci’s breakthrough performance as the second finisher for Michigan Tech crossing the finish line 23rd overall in a field of 190 runners, helping the team earn an automatic qualifier to the NCAA Cross Country Championships with a third-place team finish.

LANGE EARNS GLIAC COMMISSIONER’S AWARD

HOUGHTON — Michigan Tech Huskies senior cross country student-athlete Sam Lange received his first GLIAC Commissioner’s Award, the league office announced on Friday. 

A native of Washington, Illinois, achieved the award following a successful campaign on the grass in his final season of competition for the Huskies, leading the Michigan Tech men’s cross country team in five races this season, including all three postseason races seeing Lange place sixth at the GLIAC Cross Country Championships (First Team All-GLIAC), 12th at the NCAA Midwest Regional (All-Region) and 83rd at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. His low-stick performance at the regional meet helped the Huskies place third overall for an automatic qualifier for the National Championship. Lange also earned GLIAC Athlete of the Week twice during the cross country season. 

In the classroom, Lange finished the fall semester with a 4.0 and holds a cumulative GPA of 3.98.

ABOUT THE GLIAC COMMISSIONER’S AWARD

The awards are bestowed after the fall, winter and spring athletic seasons to six female and six male student-athletes of junior, senior or graduate student status that excel both in the classroom and in competition. All grade-point averages are based on a 4.0 scale.