Michigan State’s Simoneau Wins Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year
Simoneau led the Spartans to a second place finish at Big Ten Championship
ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the first of its postseason men’s cross country awards on Wednesday. Michigan State head coach Aaron Simoneau was selected as Big Ten Coach of the Year.
Simoneau coached Michigan State to a second-place finish in the Big Ten Championship, the program’s highest finish since 2017. The Spartans also won the 40th Annual Jeff Drenth Memorial and the B1G Preview earlier this season. Under his guidance, junior Riley Hough and freshman Thomas Westphal have each had successful individual seasons. The two finished in second and third place overall for the Spartans in the Big Ten Championship, and have each been named Big Ten Runner and Freshman of the Week three times this season, respectively.
The Big Ten also recognizes the Sportsmanship Award honorees from each institution. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have set themselves apart through hard work, sportsmanship and honorable behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and demonstrate good citizenship outside of the sports setting.
The men’s cross country Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Athlete of the Year will be announced following the NCAA Championships, which will be held Nov. 22 at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri, hosted by the University of Missouri.
2025 Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Postseason Awards
Coach of the Year: Aaron Simoneau, Michigan State
2025 Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Honorees
Joshua Daggett, Illinois
Nolan Satterfield, Indiana
Eli Arbuckle, Iowa
Kyler McNatt, Michigan
Jack Pennewell, Michigan State
Emett Gerres, Minnesota
Grant Wasserman, Nebraska
Kevin Agnew, Ohio State
Evan Bishop, Oregon
Brendan Flynn, Penn State
Douglas Buckeridge, Purdue
Maan Patel, Rutgers
Kai Mitchell-Reiss, UCLA
Jamar Distel, Washington
Bryce Stachewicz, Wisconsin