August 14, 2025 - The Kishwaukee College Cross Country team enters the 2025 season with high expectations and a growing roster of talent, including returning National Championship qualifiers and exciting new faces. Headlining the returners are sophomore standouts Riley Collins for the men and Hayley King for the women, who not only both qualified for Nationals last season but also earned All-Conference honors. Both runners are poised to repeat and build upon those successes this fall. "Riley and Hayley set the tone for our team," said Cross Cuntry Head Coach Anthony Enright. "They've shown what it takes to compete at the national level, and their leadership is already helping to raise the bar for everyone else."

One of the biggest expected leaps comes from sophomore Angel Fernandez, who is training hard with the goal of joining his teammates at Nationals this year. "Angel has put in the work, and we believe he has the potential to make that next big step," said Coach Enright. Among the newcomers, freshman Kaden Nauman stands out as a potential game-changer. A state qualifier in high school track and field, Nauman enters the season as Kish's top runner. "Kaden is strong, fast, and mentally tough. He's already shown he can lead our pack, and we expect him to compete for medals at many of our meets," Coach noted.  In addition, freshman newcomer Diego Sanchez is adding depth to the team with his hard work in preparation for the first invite for the team on August 29 with the Rock River Invite in Rockford, Illinois.

The returning runners have used their offseason to gain strength and experience, with the coaching staff seeing noticeable improvement across the board. "For many of our athletes, year one was about learning. Now in year two, they're putting that knowledge to work," said Coach. Off the course, the program continues to grow and welcomes new students to join the team—no prior running experience necessary. "We're looking for students who want to get in shape, challenge themselves, and bring enthusiasm to our program. This team is about progress, pride, and pushing limits—expect to see new personal records and a fierce spirit at every meet."

With a mix of seasoned veterans and promising newcomers, the 2025 Kishwaukee College Cross Country team is ready to compete at the highest levels of conference and national competition as they will also run in the NIU Huskie Challenge on September 5, Heartland Invite on September 26, plus battle at the Arrowhead Conference Championships on October 11 and wrap up with the NJCAA Region 4 Championships on October 25 to see who may qualify for NJCAA National Championships November 8 in Fort Dodge, Iowa this year.