Michigan State Sweeps Weekly Men’s Cross Country Awards

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its Men’s Cross Country weekly award winners for the week of Sept. 24- Oct. 1, 2025.  

Athlete of the Week  
Riley Hough, Michigan State 
Senior – Hartland, Michigan – Hartland High School – Major: Kinesiology 

• Was the top American finisher at the Gans Creek Classic 
• Placed 8^th with a new personal-best 8k time of 22:50.7 
• Hough led the Spartans to a 10^th place finish in a competitive field 
• This marks Hough’s second Athlete of the Week award: Last: Sept. 17, 2025 

 
Freshman of the Week 
Thomas Westphal, Michigan State 
Freshman – Fairhaven, Mich. – New Baltimore Anchor Bay High School –Major: Kinesiology 

• Finished with a time of 23:34.6 in the highly competitive Gans Creek Classic 
• His 73^rd place finish helped the Spartans finish 10^th overall in the 8k race 
• This marks Westphal’s second Freshman of the Week award. Last: Sept. 17, 2025 
   

2025 Men’s Cross Country Athletes of the Week 

Sept. 3 
Athlete: Nolan Clark, MICH 
Freshman: Nate Assa, PUR 

Sept. 10 
Athlete: Kevin Agnew, OSU 
Freshman: Isaac Oppermann, PSU 

Sept. 17 
Athlete: Riley Hough, MSU 
Freshman: Thomas Westphal, MSU 

Sept. 24 
Athlete: Luke Knepp, IOWA 
Freshman: Nolan Sutter, MINN 

Oct. 1 
Athlete: Riley Hough, MSU 
Freshman: Thomas Westphal, MSU