GREENVILLE, Pa. (Aug. 28) -- The Thiel College Men's and Women's Cross Country teams enter the 2025 season looking to regain their footing in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) and to lay the groundwork for future success in the conference and the region.

On the men's side, senior Nathaniel Turner (Conneaut Lake, Pa./Conneaut Area) figures to play a key role in the success of the team while Brooke Griffith (Chicora, Pa./Karns City) on the women's side brings a strong leadership mindset and experience to the squad.

Under the leadership of first-year head coach Brandon Litz, the Tomcats open the 2025 season tomorrow evening in the Fisher Invite at Westminster College with the women beginning at 6:45 p.m. and the men to follow at 7:15 p.m.

Below is the full transcript of Litz' and SID Dante Parente's season preview interview as they walked 100 meters at the Dr. Barry '70 and Carol '71 Stamm Track & Field Complex.

Parente
Alright, guys, we're here with Head Cross Country Coach Brandon Litz. We're doing the 2025 cross country season preview. Coach, you ready to roll?

Litz
I'm ready.

Parente
Let's make it happen. As you come into this 2025 season, what are kind of some of the general goals and expectations for your team as you guys get ready to kick things off this season?

Litz
Yeah. So on both sides, we're just really excited about laying a new groundwork, a foundation that gives us a place to build as we as we continue to go throughout the year and and for the years to come.

Parente
Now, looking at your rosters for this season, who are some of the key returners or newcomers on your team and just some impact runners you have as you guys enter the season?

Litz
Yeah, so on the men's side, Nathaniel Turner (Conneaut Lake, Pa./Conneaut Area). He's had a great summer. He's our lone senior. I'm really excited to see, you know, kind of the big jump that he's going to take. And then, on the ladies side, Brooke, Griffith is also the lone senior. She knows the ropes, she knows some of the courses, so I'm excited for her as well.

Parente
Now, you mentioned those impact runners there. What can you say about kind of just your schedule for this fall? Just take us through the schedule. What stands out about it for you guys?

Litz
Yeah, so we start off at Westminster with a little rustbuster. Then a few weeks later, we'll go up to Allegheny for the PAC preview. I'm excited about that. It'll be the first time that I can see sort of the conference. Then we will go over to Ohio for Muskingum at Muskingum and that'll be an up and down course. Then probably one of the most exciting races of the year will be over at Gettysburg. That's going to be an overnight, big competition. Just gives our kids a real shot to run fast. In November we go to PAC Championships and then we finish things off at the regional at Dickinson.

Parente
Now you got your schedule laid out, you got your roster. Just kind of what's your general message to your teams as a whole as well as the Thiel community?

Litz
Yeah, I think obviously it's a brand new coaching staff. We're young, we're hungry, but I promise everybody that the foundation that we're laying this year will lead to the success that we need over the next four or five years to come.

Parente
Awesome guys. We just did the 2025 cross country season preview with first year Head Cross Country Coach Brandon Litz. Tomcats are in action tomorrow night at Westminster's Fisher Invite, a 5K. Go Tomcats.