DETROIT (9/17/2025) -- The second race of the season will have the Titans running in one of the longest collegiate cross country events in NCAA history as the University of Detroit Mercy competes in Notre Dame's National Catholic Championships on Friday, Sept. 19.
The first race took place in 1980 and was just for the men, while the first women's race was in 1984. The men's 8k will kick things off at 3:30 p.m., followed by the women's 5k at 4:15 p.m.
The Titans will battle the host and nationally ranked Fighting Irish, Bellarmine, Canisius, DePaul, Lewis, Loyola Chicago, Mercyhurst, Mount Mercy, St. Francis (Ill.), Saint Francis (Ind.), and Thomas More.
In the season opener, the men's team saw nearly every harrier record a 5-mile PR at the Golden Grizzly Open. Senior Joshua Otten claimed silver with a time of 14:52. Freshman Colin Murray was fifth in his first collegiate race with a time of 15:11, while sophomore Ryan Belanger placed sixth in 15:26.
Last year at Notre Dame, Otten led three Titans in the top 70 by taking 34th in 25:15, with UDM placing seventh with 22 points.
For the women, graduate senior Nina Pizzo was also runner-up at Oakland with a time of 18:53, her second-fastest 8k time. Senior Claire Hunt posted a PR of 19:04 for fourth, and junior Helana Napiorkowski finished 10th in 19:27.
Last season in South Bend, Pizzo led the women with a time of 19:24 for 53rd place, helping the team register ninth with 243 points.
Detroit Mercy has run a team in every race of the event's existence, starting in the 1980 race that saw the men place sixth, led by Gary Servais' 13th-place time of 25:25.
The men have two top-five finishes, taking fifth in 1997 and 2013. Detroit Mercy has had one individual winner at the race, with Ben Kendell crossing the line first in 2018 with a time of 24:33, also the best time by a Titan at the event.
The Titans placed 10th in the inaugural women's race in 1984, with Lisa Salyers the highest harrier, taking 39th in 20:12. The first six years of the women's race were 3.2 miles before moving to the standard 5k format.
Detroit Mercy has had one female winner in Kim Hemstreet, who earned gold in 2002 with a time of 18:00. Meanwhile, Louisa Coppola set a school record at the race with a time of 17:58, finishing 14th, in 2013.
As a team, the highest a Titan has ever recorded on the women's side was a share of second with Marquette in 1993. Other top-five performances included third in 1997, fourth in 1994 and 1999, and fifth in 1987, 1995 and 1998.
In addition to the team competing, Director of Track and Field & Cross Country Guy Murray '89 has attended 44 races. He was the Titans' top runner in 1988, finishing 68th in 27:00.
