Michigan State cross country gets its 2026 season rolling on Friday morning, and the Spartans won’t have to wait long for a meaningful test.
The 45th annual Auto-Owners Spartan Invitational takes over Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing on Sept. 11, with the women’s 6K set for 9 a.m. and the men’s 8K to follow at 9:30 a.m. For MSU, it’s the traditional opener - but it also doubles as an important preview of what’s ahead later this fall.
That’s because Forest Akers East is also scheduled to host the 2026 NCAA Division I Cross Country Great Lakes Regional on Friday, Nov. 13.
The meet, staged with the Lansing Sports Commission, will mark the first time in program history that Michigan State has served as the host institution for an NCAA Regional. Friday’s invitational gives runners a chance to get familiar with the same 6K and 8K loops they’ll see again when automatic NCAA Championship bids are on the line in November.
The Spartan Invitational has long been one of the Midwest’s staple fall meets, and the setting helps explain why. Forest Akers East has a deep history in the sport, having hosted seven straight NCAA Division I Men’s Cross-Country Championships from 1958 to 1964 and six Big Ten Championship meets. Year after year, it draws a wide field and gives runners an early read on pace, positioning, and how well they can finish on a course that rewards rhythm and late-race strength.
This year’s collegiate field brings in plenty of familiar names, too. Michigan opens its season in East Lansing, joining Big Ten and regional opponents Ohio State, Indiana, and Purdue in what should provide an early measuring stick for everyone involved. With the regional championship looming on the same course, Friday’s race offers a direct look at the competition and the terrain.
For the MSU men, the 8K lineup is built around experience. Graduate student Riley Hough returns after winning the Spartan Invitational before, clocking 23:41.1 in that race.
Thomas Westphal, now a sophomore after earning Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors, adds another high-end piece after finishing seventh at last year’s Spartan Invitational in 23:57.8. Moses Osterink and Jack Pennewell also bring a steady presence to the front of the pack; both finished in the top six at last year’s meet, with Osterink fifth and Pennewell sixth, each under 24:00.
The women’s side brings its own mix of front-line talent and postseason experience. Junior Taylor Pangburn has been a reliable presence near the top of MSU’s scoring group and posted a top-15 finish at the 2025 Spartan Invitational with a sub-21-minute time.
Madison Osterberg and Allison Cornell are also key returners for the Spartans. Both placed inside the top 25 at last year’s home invitational, with Cornell finishing 0.4 seconds ahead of Osterberg.
Osterberg also turned in a second-place finish at the 2025 EMU Fall Classic in 17:21.20 and added three top-35 results during her sophomore season, while Cornell finished in the top 55 at the Big Ten Championships in 21:05.4.
Hough and Forsyth were both named Big Ten Runners to Watch.
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