Moorhead, Minn. —  The Crown College Polars men's and women's cross country teams opened their 2025 season at the MSUM Dragon Twilight on Friday evening at SCHEELS Field at Nemzek Stadium. Both teams raced under the lights in a unique nighttime atmosphere. 

The Polars women's team place third out of six teams in an extremely competitive field. They even topped the host school Minnesota State University Moorhead. They were led by junior Ella Dufault who crossed the line in 18:28 for a 12th place finish overall. Sophomore Lindsey Morrison (19:40), senior Ruth Brueckner (19:41), and freshman Callie Dufault (19:50) kept the Polars packed tightly in the top 30. Sophomore Olivia Stanley had a personal best time of 20:47, while freshmen Autumn Siewert and Mia Arroyo also contributed depth in a strong season debut for the Polars women's runners. 

The new-look men's team finished sixth of seven teams. Freshman David Tuttle had an impressive start to his collegiate career by leading the team with a time of 19:03. Steady senior Caden Swoboda and sophomore Andrew Johnson rounded out the top three finishers for Crown. Freshman Elijah Scott, William Nugent, Evan Gibson, and Gabriel Filter also showed promising times early in the season, and added valuable early-season experience as the Polars showcased their young roster. 

Both squads return to action on Saturday, September 20, at the St. Olaf Invitational in Northfield, Minnesota.