Defiance XC's future looks bright with competition four days away

DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College men's and women's cross country teams, led by third-year head coach James Rollins, are set to begin their season in just four days. With only two departures and six newcomers for the programs combined, the Yellow Jackets are poised for a promising 2025 campaign.

The men's team will be anchored by seniors Eli Fortman and Jake Stephens, both local athletes who have helped set the tone for Defiance since stepping foot on campus. Stephens paced the squad in four of the five meets DC competed in last season. The Yellow Jackets return six runners from 2024 and add three freshmen to the roster, including Yafet Mehari out of Dayton, Ohio.

"Both Jake and Eli were born and raised right here in Defiance, Ohio and will help guide our team up the conference rankings," Rollins said. "[Mehari] brings a much needed competitive edge to the team. I'm excited for the leadership of the returners combined with the competitiveness of the freshman to hopefully create a winning combination for our program." 

The women's team has taken a significant step forward, expanding its roster to a healthy eight runners. The group includes one freshman and two sophomores who previously competed exclusively in track and field. Notable returners include sophomore Zawadi Debola and Defiance native Mira Horvath, a rising junior. Horvath was a consistent presence for the Yellow Jackets throughout the 2024 season, leading the team in five of six meets. She also set individual records in the 5K, 6K and 1,000-meter runs. Rollins said Debola and Horvath's support for each other is "infectious," which he said is a "great quality for the culture of our team."

Cornerstone sat atop of the rankings in the regular season last year for the women, and also claimed the WHAC conference title in the November championship. Aquinas represented the men at the front of the leaderboard at the conclusion of last season and, similarly, came in first place in the 2024 WHAC championship. Both teams will be projected to open the year as the No. 1-ranked teams, though no poll has yet been released by the conference. 

Defiance's men and women's cross country programs will begin the season at the Wilberforce Open, hosted by Wilberforce University, on Friday. The full schedule can be found by clicking here.