Michigan State athletes named B1G cross country runners to watch for 2024 season

Casey Akenberger Director of Athletic Performance/Munn | Michigan State Spartan Athletics Website

By Lansing Sun

Aug 22, 2024

Michigan State athletes Makenna Veen and Andrew Nolan have been named Big Ten Cross Country Runners to Watch. The watch lists were determined by the league's head coaches.

Veen, a graduate student from Kalamazoo, Michigan, earned All-Great Lakes Region Honors last season by finishing fourth at regionals. Veen was also part of the Big Ten Championship team that won its fourth title in the last five years. She captured first-team All-Big Ten honors after a team-best third-place finish.

Nolan, a graduate student from Lake Orion, Michigan, represented the Spartan men in the NCAA Championships. Nolan also captured All-Great Lakes Region honors after finishing 11th at regionals. He earned first-team All-Big Ten honors after finishing sixth in the Big Ten Championship.

Defending Big Ten Champion Michigan State is coming off its fourth women's title in the last five years, while Wisconsin's men's team has won six-straight conference championships.

The Spartans open the season on Friday, Aug. 30 at the Jeff Drenth Memorial in Shepherd, Michigan.

2024 Big Ten Men's Cross Country Runners to Watch:

- Alex Partlow, Jr., Illinois

- Skylar Stidam, Sr., Indiana

- Will Ryan, Jr., Iowa

- Luke Venhuizen, Jr., Michigan

- Andrew Nolan, Gr., Michigan State

- Emmet Anderson, Jr., Minnesota

- Liem Chot, Sr., Nebraska

- Zubin Jha, 5th-Yr., Ohio State

- Elliott Cook, Sr., Oregon

- Brian DiCola, So., Penn State