PORT HURON, Mich. – The St. Clair County Community College (SC4) men’s cross country team, under the direction of third-year head coach Max Whittredge, are set to begin the 2026 campaign on Thursday, August 20.
The Skippers will have seven meets spread out across three months this fall. They will also travel to a pair of different states outside of Michigan to bolster their body of work.
In 2025, SC4 placed sixth at the NJCAA Region 12 Championship and MCCAA Championship. The Skippers will be looking for a return to the NJCAA Cross Country National Championship this season — a meet where they finished 12th at in 2024.
“Following a disappointing conclusion to last year’s season, when the goal of qualifying for the NJCAA National Championships fell just short, the SC4 men’s cross country team enters this season with renewed purpose, determination, and belief,” said Head Coach Whittredge. “The goal remains clear, which is to qualify for the NJCAA National Championships. However, this season is about more than simply earning a spot on the starting line at nationals. It is about the process required to get there, committing to one another, embracing the work, and growing together every day as teammates.”
SCHEDULE OUTLOOK
The 2026 season will begin, as mentioned above, on August 20 as the Skippers will host their annual Skippers Cross Country Showcase at Goodells County Park in Goodells, Mich. Following that meet, SC4 will have just over two weeks off until traveling to Indiana Wesleyan University XC Course in Marion, Ind., for the IWU Twilight Invitational on September 4.
Two more weeks will pass until the Skippers’ third meet on the docket, which will be the Lansing Community College Invitational on September 18 at Grand Woods Park in Lansing, Mich. The following weekend (September 26), the team will make their second out-of-state trip with a stop in Rochester, Ny., for the Harry F. Anderson Invitational at the Matt St. James Cross Country Trails.
October begins for the squad on the second day of the month for the MCCAA Eastern Conference Championship, which will be hosted by Oakland Community College. SC4 will then travel to Muskegon, Mich., for the MCC Jayhawk Invitational at the University Park Golf Course on October 17.
The Jayhawk Invitational will be the final regular-season meet for the Skippers. The postseason will commence on October 30, when the team will once again host the NJCAA Region 12 Championship and the MCCAA Championship at Goodells County Park.
Should the Skippers qualify for the national meet again this season, the NJCAA Division II National Championship will be on November 14, from John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Ala.
ROSTER OUTLOOK
Of the Skippers’ eight-man roster, five student-athletes from a season ago are set to return. They include Evan Jacobs, Gerald (Jerry) Westrick, Korbyn Thornton, Sawyer Rosberg, and Wyatt Murtos. “Jacobs, Westrick, Thornton, Rosberg, and Murtos bring valuable experience and leadership to a team that understands what it takes to compete at a high level,” said Coach Whittredge. “Each returning athlete has an opportunity to build on last season and help establish the standard for the group moving forward.”
Murtos, Westrick, and Rosberg all competed at the NJCAA Region 12 Championship meet last October, placing 29th, 40th, and 45th, respectively, in the field of 119.
The Skippers also welcome three newcomers to the roster in 2026 — Tyler Leach, Nolan Korolden, and Matthew Litwiller. “Leach enters the program with the potential to become one of the region’s top competitors, while Korolden and Litwiller add important depth and bring new energy to an already motivated group,” said Whittredge.
“While individual goals and performances will play an important role, this team understands that success in cross country is ultimately built through the idea that “iron sharpens iron,” said Whittredge. “A principle that emphasizes consistency, accountability, and a willingness to put the group before oneself. The expectation is to challenge one another, support one another, and leave the program better than we found it.”
For the full list of meets in order and more information on the men’s cross country program as the season progresses, visit SC4Skippers.com.
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For media inquiries, please contact Sarah Rutallie, Chief of Staff, SC4, at srutallie@sc4.edu
St Clair County Community College (SC4) was founded in 1923 and is the only public higher education institution in the thumb of Michigan. SC4 is a comprehensive community college that provides certificates and degrees for employable skills and college credits that can be transferred to a four-year college or university. The college provides collegiate arts and athletics for the area and has been an asset for students and the Port Huron community for over one hundred years.
