Geneva, Ill. — In the first meet of the season for Illinois Tech Cross Country, Benjamin Gaeta placed 20th in the men's 8k in 32:02.1 to lead the Scarlet Hawks listed results at the Spartan Classic at the Settler's Hill Cross Country Course. Isabelle Pullen finished 31st in the women's 6k in 29:41.6.

Notable Performances

Gaeta placed 20th in the men's 8k with a time of 32:02.1 and a 6:26.6 average mile. Davin Mikulcik finished 23rd in the men's 8k in 32:18.4, averaging 6:29.9 per mile. Pullen took 31st in the women's 6k with a time of 29:41.6 and a 7:57.8 average mile. Clara Pargett added a 33rd-place finish in the women's 6k, crossing in 30:07.1.

What They Said

"Hats off to the team for showing up and giving it their best in hotter than expected weather! The sun was bright but our spirits were higher, as we cheered everyone on and celebrated a top 20 finish from Ben." - Assistant Coach Brendan Batliner.

"I'm so proud of our team, this opener is the floor we're gonna build off of for the rest of the season and I can't wait to see how well they do when we're back for conference."  - Student Assistant Mason Brewer.

"It was a challenging first experience at the conference course. Proud of how the team supported each other and raced through the heat. Excited to see where the rest of the season takes us and for what's ahead." - Student Assistant Sophia Halama.

Race Results

Women's 6k
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31. Pullen - 29:41.6
33. Pargett - 30:07.1
35. Annika McKown - 30:33.9

Men's 8k
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20. Gaeta - 32:02.1
23. Mikulcik - 32:18.4
30. Jeremiah Simons - 32:59.1
37. Jonathan Garcia-Hernandez - 34:46.2

Meet Notes:
- Simons made his collegiate racing debut in the meet.

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks' next event is Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026, at 10 a.m. at the Gil Dodds Invitational at St. James Farm - Warrenville, Illinois. Wheaton College is the meet host.