Walda Breaks Program Record at Bradley Pink Classic
Friday, October 13, 2023
Walda Breaks Program Record at Bradley Pink Classic
Evan Walda set a program record in the 8K on Friday.
Related Links

Despite running through rainy and muddy conditions, Valparaiso University men’s cross country senior Evan Walda (Fort Wayne, Ind. / South Side) put together the fastest performance in program history, shattering the previous record in the 8K at Friday’s Bradley Pink Classic, hosted by the Braves at Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill.

How It Happened

  • Walda finished sixth in a large field of 232 student-athletes in the men’s “red” race, crossing the finish in 24:22.90. He had previously cracked the program’s all-time top 10 at this same event last season with a time of 25:00.2. Walda’s showing outdid Alexander Bruno’s program record of 24:23.4 that had stood since the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championship.
  • The next Beacon to cross the finish line was senior Simeon Ehm (Castle Rock, Colo. / Heritage) at 25:05.90, placing 43rd. He was slightly behind his previous PR on the muddy and rainy day that made top times difficult to achieve.
  • Sophomore Joseph Scheele (Mahomet, Ill. / Mahomet-Seymour) finished at 25:22.20, placing 70th in the race. He was followed by freshman Karson Hollander (Crystal Lake, Ill. / Crystal Lake) at 26:15.50.
  • In the women’s “red” 6K, Grace Aurand (Highland, Ind. / Highland) led the way with a top-100 finish at 22:36.60. The second Beacon to cross the line was freshman Lauren Wroza (Rochester, Mich. / Rochester) at 22:54.10.
  • The Valpo women were 28th of 32, while the Valpo men finished 17th of 29, ahead of a slew of programs including three Missouri Valley Conference opponents – Southern Illinois, Indiana State and UNI, among numerous other squads – Purdue Fort Wayne, Milwaukee, Western Illinois, South Dakota, SIU Edwardsville, Northern Kentucky, Green Bay, Lindenwood and Chicago State. IUPUI won the men’s race, while North Dakota State took the top honors on the women’s side.

Up Next

The team will return to action for the MVC Championship hosted by Belmont in Nashville, Tenn. on Friday, Oct. 27. The meet will air on ESPN+ with links to live video and results available on ValpoAthletics.com.