Michigan State Takes Home Weekly Men’s Cross Country Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its Men’s Cross Country weekly award winners for the week of Oct. 15–Oct. 22, 2025.  

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

• Earned an eighth-place finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational with an 8K time of 23:32.1 
• Hough was the highest finishing Big Ten athlete in the race 
• Led the Spartans to a seventh-place finish with 245 points, which was best among the Big Ten schools 
• Hough's third Athlete of the Week award this season. Last: Oct. 1, 2025 

 
Freshman of the Week 
Thomas Westphal, Michigan State 
Freshman – Fair Haven, Mich. – New Baltimore Anchor Bay –Major: Kinesiology 

• Finished 23^rd overall with a time of 23:40.3 at the Nuttycombe Invitational 8K 
• Westphal’s efforts helped the Spartans to a seventh-place team finish, which was the top Big Ten finish 
• As a freshman, Westphal was second best in his effort for the Spartans 
• Westphal’s third Freshman of the Week award this season. Last:  Oct. 1, 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 

Oct. 8 
Athlete: Douglas Buckeridge, PUR 
Freshman: Jaxson Schoedel, PSU 

Oct. 15 
Athlete: Benjamin Balazs, ORE 
Freshman: Andreas Dybdahl, UCLA 

Oct. 22 
Athlete: Riley Hough, MSU 
Freshman: Thomas Westphal, MSU