TERRE HAUTE, Ind. - Junior Alec Hueftle led the IU Indianapolis men's cross country team's efforts at the John McNichols Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 19) in Terre Haute, placing 34th of 226 runners in the open race of the nationally elite event. Head coach Justin Amburgy got a first look at his squad for the 2026 season in the open entry, competing against a talented field of runners from all over the country. 

Hueftle finished the 8K race in a time of 26:26.5 while sophomore Eli Oetken was next in line at 26:48.9, finishing 46th overall. Just behind him, rookie Aidan Connors made his collegiate debut with a time of 26:55.8 and fellow freshman Nathan Gehrmann crossed at 26:57.6. Cameron Smith finished at 27:04.0 and Nick Cook crossed at 27:17.8. 

Michael Zegarski (27:20.3) and Carter Schorr (28:16.8) rounded out the Jaguars running in uniform while a number of other IU Indy runners competed unattached, giving Amburgy a deeper dive into his roster. 

Connors paced a deep IU Indy attack from the outset before giving way to Hueftle near the midpoint of the race. Oetken surged late, moving up over the latter stages of the race. 

BYU, ranked No. 9 nationally, dominated both the championship race and open event, taking the top three spots of the open race. Malachi Schoenherr took the individual tape in a time of 25:31.8. 

The Jaguars are expected to unveil the entire roster at their next meet when they compete in Notre Dame's Joe Piane Invitational in South Bend on Oct. 2.