Completed Event: Cross Country at George Kyte Classic on August 30, 2025 , , M: 3rd out of 13 | W: 6th out of 10
XC
at George Kyte Classic
M: 3rd out of 13 | W: 6th out of 10
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Saturday, August 30
Flagstaff, Ariz. / Buffalo Park
1:30 p.m.
Grand Canyon
at
George Kyte Classic
Photo by: Northern Arizona Athletics
Lopes make strong showing in season-opening meet
8/30/2025 11:12:00 PM | Cross Country
GCU newcomers make immediate impact in Flagstaff altitude
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Grand Canyon cross country opened the 2025 season with a solid showing at the George Kyte Classic on Saturday, when the Lopes ran at 7,000-feet elevation in Buffalo Park.
"I'm incredibly proud of how our teams competed in Flagstaff," GCU head coach Shayla Houlihan said. "Michael Archie led the way with Greyson Akers and Tristen Coyle locking in strong top-three team finishes."
Archie, a sophomore transfer from Houston, placed 10th with a time of 23 minutes, 2.2 seconds in the 4.5-mile run. He finished third among runners outside of host NAU, which has won six of the past 10 cross country national championships.
GCU's five placers on the men's side averaged 23:42 to give the Lopes a third-place finish with 79 points, just six points off runner-up Arizona and ahead of Utah Tech (84) and Arizona State (128). NAU dominated the men's race with the top five finishers.
Akers and Coyle, who are juniors, finished 14th (23:29.4) and 16th (23:33.5), respectively, with freshman Archie Budding of England also cracking the top 20 at No. 29 in 23:40. Senior Alex Rafferty was GCU's final scorer in 26th.
"Freshman Archie Budding really stepped up in a big way, and Alex Rafferty solidified our top five scoring positions," Houlihan said.
On the women's side, the five placers finished the 2.5-mile run with an average time of 16 minutes, 38 seconds. Newcomer Morgan Lamberson, a senior transfer from Tarleton State, was the top placer for the Lopes, running a time of 16:18.8 for 14th.
"I'm especially impressed with what our freshman and new athletes have accomplished in such a short time on campus," Houlihan said of the women's side.
The women's top five also included sophomore Selah Akers (16:33.5), freshman duo Isabella Velazquez (16:36.5) and June Zimmerman (16:46.0) and sophomore Taylor Hansen (16:59.3), all of whom were in the top 30 as GCU finished fifth, just four points behind Arizona State. The NAU women also took the top five spots to win easily.
"We're excited to keep building on this momentum heading into our next training block," Houlihan said.
The Lopes head to Fullerton, California, for the Biola Invitational on Sept. 12.
"I'm incredibly proud of how our teams competed in Flagstaff," GCU head coach Shayla Houlihan said. "Michael Archie led the way with Greyson Akers and Tristen Coyle locking in strong top-three team finishes."
Archie, a sophomore transfer from Houston, placed 10th with a time of 23 minutes, 2.2 seconds in the 4.5-mile run. He finished third among runners outside of host NAU, which has won six of the past 10 cross country national championships.
GCU's five placers on the men's side averaged 23:42 to give the Lopes a third-place finish with 79 points, just six points off runner-up Arizona and ahead of Utah Tech (84) and Arizona State (128). NAU dominated the men's race with the top five finishers.
Akers and Coyle, who are juniors, finished 14th (23:29.4) and 16th (23:33.5), respectively, with freshman Archie Budding of England also cracking the top 20 at No. 29 in 23:40. Senior Alex Rafferty was GCU's final scorer in 26th.
"Freshman Archie Budding really stepped up in a big way, and Alex Rafferty solidified our top five scoring positions," Houlihan said.
On the women's side, the five placers finished the 2.5-mile run with an average time of 16 minutes, 38 seconds. Newcomer Morgan Lamberson, a senior transfer from Tarleton State, was the top placer for the Lopes, running a time of 16:18.8 for 14th.
"I'm especially impressed with what our freshman and new athletes have accomplished in such a short time on campus," Houlihan said of the women's side.
The women's top five also included sophomore Selah Akers (16:33.5), freshman duo Isabella Velazquez (16:36.5) and June Zimmerman (16:46.0) and sophomore Taylor Hansen (16:59.3), all of whom were in the top 30 as GCU finished fifth, just four points behind Arizona State. The NAU women also took the top five spots to win easily.
"We're excited to keep building on this momentum heading into our next training block," Houlihan said.
The Lopes head to Fullerton, California, for the Biola Invitational on Sept. 12.
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