Men’s Cross Country Earns Team Bid to NCAA Cross Country Championships
November 15, 2025 | Cross Country
For the first time since 2015, the Louisville men will be represented as a team at the national championship meet.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The University of Louisville men's cross country team has earned an at-large selection to the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, as announced by the NCAA on Saturday.
After earning a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Nov. 14, the men's team was selected by the NCAA DI Men's & Women's Cross Country Subcommittee as one of 14 at-large teams to be added to the 32-team championship field.
With the qualification, the Louisville men will be represented at the national championship meet as a unit for just the sixth time in program history and the first since 2015.
"A decade has passed since the Cards raced at an NCAA cross country championship and to have this group of men achieve an at-large bid is reflective of their total commitment to running," said third-year Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Joe Franklin. "We will represent our university, city and state with pride and heart. L's Up!"
Elsingi Kipruto led the charge at the regional meet, finishing as the runner-up after covering the 10K course in 29:19.6 as one of three Cardinals to earn All-Region honors, with Geoffrey Kirwa placing 22nd in 30:13.5 and Ian Kibiwot following close behind in 24th with a time of 30:17.4.
Gustav Bendsen knocked nearly a minute off his 10K time from a year ago with a time of 30:56.7 to come in 53rd place, while Spenser Wolf rounded out the scoring five by placing 76th after notching a personal record of his own in 31:20.1.
In addition to their stellar performance at the Southeast Regional, the Louisville men were also selected on the strength of their season as a whole, including an eighth-place showing at the ACC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31, their best ACC finish since 2016, and a fourth-place finish at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 3, where they defeated a pair of nationally ranked teams.
The national championship meet will be contested next Saturday, Nov. 22 at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. The men's 10K will get underway at 11:10 a.m. ET with the race slated to be televised live on ESPNU.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
After earning a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Nov. 14, the men's team was selected by the NCAA DI Men's & Women's Cross Country Subcommittee as one of 14 at-large teams to be added to the 32-team championship field.
With the qualification, the Louisville men will be represented at the national championship meet as a unit for just the sixth time in program history and the first since 2015.
"A decade has passed since the Cards raced at an NCAA cross country championship and to have this group of men achieve an at-large bid is reflective of their total commitment to running," said third-year Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Joe Franklin. "We will represent our university, city and state with pride and heart. L's Up!"
Elsingi Kipruto led the charge at the regional meet, finishing as the runner-up after covering the 10K course in 29:19.6 as one of three Cardinals to earn All-Region honors, with Geoffrey Kirwa placing 22nd in 30:13.5 and Ian Kibiwot following close behind in 24th with a time of 30:17.4.
Gustav Bendsen knocked nearly a minute off his 10K time from a year ago with a time of 30:56.7 to come in 53rd place, while Spenser Wolf rounded out the scoring five by placing 76th after notching a personal record of his own in 31:20.1.
In addition to their stellar performance at the Southeast Regional, the Louisville men were also selected on the strength of their season as a whole, including an eighth-place showing at the ACC Cross Country Championships on Oct. 31, their best ACC finish since 2016, and a fourth-place finish at the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Oct. 3, where they defeated a pair of nationally ranked teams.
The national championship meet will be contested next Saturday, Nov. 22 at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. The men's 10K will get underway at 11:10 a.m. ET with the race slated to be televised live on ESPNU.
For the latest information on Louisville Cross Country/Track & Field, visit GoCards.com, or follow the team's Instagram and X account at @louisvilletfxc or on Facebook at facebook.com/LouisvilleTFXC.
Players Mentioned
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