PITTSBURGH – Led by fifth-year head coach Jeff Gibson, the Duquesne cross country teams will open the 2025 season at the Father Bede Invitational, hosted by Saint Francis. It marks the fourth consecutive year the Dukes have started their campaign at the meet.

MEET INFORMATION 
Father Bede Invitational 
August 30, 2025 • 10:15 a.m. • B&D Acres (Tyrone, Pa.)
Live Results  |  Meet Info/Maps
Women's 4k • Men's 6k

SEASON PREVIEW
Men's Team
The 2025 Dukes feature a 17-runner roster with four seniors, three juniors, four sophomores and six freshmen.

Sophomore Ben Shields returns as a team leader after finishing among Duquesne's top three in all six races as a freshman. He is the Dukes' top returning finisher at the 2024 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, placing 83rd with a time of 31:51.0.

Seniors Nathaniel Woshner and Jack Barnhisel also bring NCAA regional experience. Woshner scored for the Dukes in four of five meets last fall, including the regional, and placed second on the team at the Atlantic 10 Championship with an 8K personal best. Barnhisel made his regional debut last season after running back-to-back 8K PRs at Virginia and the A-10 meet. Fellow seniors Sam de la Riva and Ben Colli return after both posted PRs at the A-10 Championships. Woshner (5th), de la Riva (12th) and Barnhisel (15th) were all top-15 finishers in last year's season opener at Saint Francis.

Mason Stewart headlines the junior class as a returning regional scorer. The Chaminade transfer scored in five of six races in his first season with the Dukes. Jonah Nizami placed 11th at the Father Bede Invitational with a PR, while Maxwell Hamilton returns after competing in two races last fall.

The sophomore class is led by Shields, who placed ninth at the Father Bede Invitational. Anthony Ciecierski also raced at the NCAA regional after lowering his PR by nearly 50 seconds with a 25:37.7 at the A-10 meet. Jacob Bonnar and Sam Freedman both saw significant action as freshmen — Bonnar competed in five races, including the conference meet, while Freedman ran in four and capped his year with a top-10 finish at the Red Flash Rally. Both earned A-10 Rookie of the Week honors last season.

The six-member freshman class includes Brendan Burns, Liam Kirkpatrick, Kyle Kochanski, Isaak Nizami (brother of Jonah), Jack Pritchard and Cleveland Wall.

Competing this weekend: Jack Barnhisel, Jacob Bonnar, Brendan Burns, Anthony Ciecierski, Sam de la Riva, Sam Freedman, Maxwell Hamilton, Liam Kirkpatrick, Kyle Kochanski, Isaak Nizami, Jack Pritchard, Ben Shields, Mason Stewart, Cleveland Wall, Nathaniel Woshner

Women's Team
The Duquesne women enter the 2025 season coming off a year in which they were ranked as high as No. 12 in the Mid-Atlantic Region by the USTFCCCA — the program's first regional ranking since 2021.

The 18-runner roster features four seniors, three juniors, five sophomores and six freshmen.

Seniors Ryley Schwalm and Gina Bolla lead the returners after placing second and third on the team at the NCAA Regional, both finishing in the top 100. Schwalm has now competed in three regionals, while Bolla finished among Duquesne's top three in all six races last fall and is a two-time regional competitor. Classmates Kate Saum and Sophia Trevenen also return — Saum raced in her second regional last season, while Trevenen competed in five meets, highlighted by a PR at the A-10 Championship.

The junior class includes Emma Andreen, Cydney Blahovec and Reagan Ryen. Andreen ran in two races last season, Blahovec in four and Ryen in three. All three are set to compete in the Father Bede Invitational for the third time in their careers.

Sophomore Morgan Roemer headlines the group after being the team's lone freshman at the NCAA Regional last fall, scoring in four of six meets. Ava Brewster added three top-20 finishes in her first season, including a third-place showing at the Red Flash Rally. Lily Colombo also competed in four races, highlighted by a seventh-place finish at the Red Flash Rally, while Grace Senneway and Lexi Fluharty gained experience in two meets apiece.

Lauren Ciuca, Elidh Edgar, Sylvia Kashak, Kendall Lucas, Gianna Mosca and Elizabeth Pizon join the program as freshmen.

The Dukes opened last season with a team victory at Saint Francis, scoring 40 points with five runners in the top 11. Top returners from that race include Schwalm (7th), Bolla (9th), Saum (17th) and Brewster (20th).

Competing this weekend: Emma Andreen, Cydney Blahovec, Gina Bolla, Ava Brewster, Lauren Ciuca, Elidh Edgar, Sylvia Kashak, Kendall Lucas, Gianna Mosca, Elizabeth Pizon, Reagan Ryen, Kate Saum, Sophia Trevenen

PRESEASON POLL
In the 2025 Atlantic 10 Cross Country Preseason Coaches Poll, the Dukes were picked to finish sixth on the women's side (133 points) and tied for ninth on the men's side (102 points). Loyola Chicago is the preseason favorite in both men's and women's cross country. View the full polls: Men | Women

UP NEXT
Duquesne heads to Penn State on September 12 for the Spiked Shoe Invitational.

FOLLOW THE DUKES 
Follow Duquesne Cross Country all season online at GoDuquesne.com, as well as on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook (@DuqXCTF).