Indiana cross country opened its season at the Sam Bell Invitational on Friday at the Sam Bell Cross Country Course in Bloomington. The Indiana women’s team took first place in the contest against Bradley University and Ball State University. The Indiana men’s team took second behind Bradley.
The women’s race
The team led the competition with 21 points — beating Bradley University’s 36 points and Ball State University’s 81 points.
Freshman Katy Zang led the women’s 4K race with a time of 12:36.2, finishing nearly a minute ahead of second-place finisher Bradley University sophomore Noelle Steines. Zang came to Indiana from Teays Valley High School in Ohio, where she set a national record in the two mile before signing with the Hoosiers and making her collegiate debut.
Junior Maddie Rocchio was the next Hoosier to cross the finish line, placing third with a time of 13:46.1. Rocchio’s third place time of 13:46.1 at the invitational set a personal record in the 4K.
Senior Lily Myers was close behind in fourth at 13:48.9. Myers is one of the key returners for the Hoosiers this year after she led the team at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional last season. Myers finished 35th overall in the regional 6K with a time of 20:57.34, helping Indiana finish 11th in the region.
Freshman Jasmine Martoglio from Bloomington South High School finished sixth with a time of 14:01.5. She was followed by senior Lucinda Rourke in seventh at 14:05.0. Rourke joined Indiana this season after previously competing at the University of Florida from 2022 to 2024 and the University of Louisville. Junior Josefina Rastrelli and sophomore Ava Jarrell also finished inside the top 11. Jarrell enters her sophomore season after being named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team last season. Rastrelli returns for her third season with Indiana after recording a 6K personal best of 21:36.4 during the 2025 cross country season.
The men’s race
On the men’s side, Indiana finished second with 34 points, 11 points behind Bradley’s score of 23 points.
Bradley’s runners took the top three spots in the 6K race. Junior Travis Gaffney won with a time of 18:10.2,followed closely by senior Jayde Rosslee, who finished right behind at 18:10.5. Bradley sophomore Jacob Trangmar placed third at 18:14.5.
Junior Tony Provenzano was the first to finish for the Hoosiers, placing 4th overall with a time of 18:19.3. Provenzano enters the season after being named to the Big Ten’s 2026 runners to watch list. His 6K personal best is 18:02.4, which he set at the 2025 Sam Bell Invitational.
Indiana runners then claimed the next three spots. Freshman Dom Ellis finished fifth in his first race as a Hoosier with a time of 18:23.3. Ellis joined Indiana after winning the 2025 Ohio State Division I high school individual cross country state championship. Sophomore runners Alex Bruns and Liam Bauschke followed in sixth and seventh, with times of 18:26.5 and 18.28.3, respectively. In last year’s Sam Bell Invitational both athletes set 6K personal records, Bruns finished at 18:17.38 and Bauschke at 18:19.9.
Sophomore Ahmed Saleh was Indiana’s next finisher, placing 12th with a time of 18:43.3. This time is Saleh’s personal best, lowering his previous by nearly three seconds. Saleh competed for Indiana at both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Great Lakes Regional during his freshman season.
Junior Dylon Nalley followed in 13th at 18:51.3. Nalley is one of Indiana’s top returning runners this season. Nalley entered his junior season with Indiana after competing for the Hoosiers at the 2025 NCAA Great Lakes Regional, where he finished the 10k with a time of 31:13.49.
The Sam Bell Invitational was Indiana’s only home meet of the 2026 season.
The Hoosiers will next race in the John McNichols Invitational on Sept. 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
