EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field Head Coach Mike Hillyard announced the addition of eight new student-athletes for the upcoming 2025-26 seasons.

That list includes graduate transfer Dominick Biene and junior transfer Jaryn Weinel as well as incoming freshmen Carson Brown, Noah Burgh, Ty Conner, Sawyer Mossberger, Noah Nifong and Kraedyn Young.

“This class is a nice blend of veteran experience with the additions of Dominick and Jaryn, and young talent with our seven freshman newcomers,” Hillyard said. “In total, this is likely the strongest recruiting class that we have ever put together here at USI.

“Our vision with recruiting is always long term, however we fully expect that most, if not all, will make an impact at the conference level right away,” Hillyard concluded.

Dominick Biene (Union, Missouri) transfers to USI from the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas, where he was a three-time NAIA All-American and combined six-time national qualifier. He was 19th at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country Championships before finishing sixth in the 10,000 meters at the 2024 NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.

Biene, who won the 2024 Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference individual title, helped Saint Mary to a second-place finish at the 2023 NAIA Cross Country Championships. He won KCAC titles in the outdoor 5,000 meters in 2024 and 2025, the 10,000 meters in 2023, and the indoor 5,000 meters in 2025.

A graduate of Union High School, Beine earned All-State honors after helping UHS to an eighth-place finish in the 4×800-meter relay at the 2021 MSHSAA Class 4A Track & Field Championships.

Jaryn Weinel (Jasper, Indiana) transfers to USI after spending his first two collegiate seasons at Purdue University. Weinel finished 114th at the 2023 Big Ten Cross Country Championships before finishing 144th at the 2024 league meet. He competed in a combined six meets during the 2025 indoor and outdoor track & field seasons after sitting out during the 2024 track & field campaign.

A graduate of Jasper High School, Weinel earned IHSAA All-State honors in the 800 meters as a senior in 2023. He also was the regional and sectional champion in the 800 meters during his senior year after earning All-State honors with a 22nd-place finish at the 2022 IHSAA Cross Country Championships.

Carson Brown (French Lick, Indiana) comes to USI from Springs Valley High School, where he was the 2025 Indiana Association of Track and Cross Country Coaches (IATCCC) Class 1A Runner of the Year following an 11th-place finish at the 2024 IHSAA Cross Country Championships. He also earned All-State honors in the 3,200 meters following a fifth-place finish at the 2025 IHSAA Track & Field Championships.

Noah Burgh (Piqua, Ohio) is a graduate Piqua High School, where he was a two-time All-Ohio honoree after finishing seventh at the 2024 OHSAA Division I Cross Country Championships and 24th in 2023. He finished first at the 2024 USA Track & Field National Junior Olympic Championships in 2024 and won the Open Race #1 at the NXR Midwest Regional Championships in 2023.

On the track, Burgh was an outdoor state qualifier in the 3,200 meters as a senior in 2025 after finishing sixth in the 3,200 meters at the 2025 OATCCC D2 State Indoor Championships.

Ty Conner (Westfield, Indiana) comes to USI after graduating from Westfield High School, where he earned All-State honors on the track after helping the Shamrocks to a fourth-place finish in the 4×800-meter relay at the 2025 IHSAA Track & Field Championships. He was a state qualifier on the grass during his senior season, finishing 87th at the 2024 IHSAA Cross Country Championships.

Sawyer Mossberger (Evansville, Indiana) is a graduate of Reitz High School, where he was a three-time state qualifier on the cross country course. Mossberger finished 75th at the 2023 IHSAA Cross Country Championships after finishing 142nd in 2022. He finished his career with a 199th-place finish at the 2024 IHSAA Cross Country Championships.

Noah Nifong (Floyds Knobs, Indiana) is a graduate of Floyd Central High School, where he earned IATCCC Class 4A Honorable Mention All-State honors in 2023 and 2024 after earning first-team honors in 2022. Nifong finished 25th at the 2022 IHSAA Cross Country Championships, 37th in 2023 and 30th in 2024.

On the track, Nifong was a two-time state qualifier, finishing 17th in the 3,200 meters at the 2025 IHSAA Championships and 19th in the 1,600 meters at the 2024 state meet.

Kraeden Young (North Vernon, Indiana) comes to USI after graduating from Jennings County High School in North Vernon, Indiana, where he earned All-State honors in the 1,600 meters following an eighth-place finish at the IHSAA Track & Field Championships.

On the grass, Young was an IATCCC Class 3A first-team All-State honoree following a 194th-place finish at the IHSAA Cross Country Championships. He earned IATCCC Class 4A honorable mention All-State honors after finishing 44th at the 2023 IHSAA Championships.

This group joins a Screaming Eagles team that is coming off a first-place finish at the 2024 OVC Cross Country Championships.