Wildcats Prepare for Big 12 Championship Saturday

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State men's and women's cross country teams will begin postseason competition this weekend when the Wildcats travel to Waco, Texas for the Big 12 Championships on Saturday, November 2 at the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course.

The Big 12 Championship will begin with the men's 8k race at 10 a.m., CT on Saturday with the women's 6k race following an hour later at 11 a.m. CT. After the conclusion of both races, the Big 12 Awards Ceremony will take place at 12 p.m. CT. The Championships will be featured on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

"We have prepared well for the upcoming championships," said Head Coach Ryun Godfrey. "The team does a great job balancing tough academic schedules and preparation for championship racing. I'm excited to see them compete this coming Saturday. I am confident they will have their best races of the season!"

K-State will face some of the top teams in the country at the Big 12 Championships, including three of the nation's top-30 programs on the men's side in No. 5 Iowa State, No. 27 Oklahoma State and No. 30 Texas, while the women's squad will go up against one program rated inside the top-30, No. 29 Oklahoma State.

The Big 12 Cross Country Championship enters its 24^th season in 2019, which dates to the league's inaugural season in 1996. Iowa State has dominated the championship race in recent years, as the Cyclones men's team has notched back-to-back titles during the 8k meet (2017 & 2018) while the women's squad will be looking for a four-peat after controlling the 6k race for the last three years (2016, 2017, 2018).

Last season, the men's team finished in fifth place with 162 points, as four runners (Cooper Schroeder, Ethan Powell, Dylan Brenneman and Noah Stevenson) return who scored points for the Wildcats. Schroeder earned a 22^nd-place finish with time of 24:51.1, while Powell (30^th/25:22.2), Brenneman (45^th/25:57.5) and Stevenson (52^nd/26:33.0) all finished among the Top 55. The quartet will be joined in this year's championship by sophomore Kerby Depenbusch, freshmen David Lutgen and Mike Rohlinger, sophomore Jackson Schroeder and freshmen Hadley Splechter and Jack Thomas.

The women's squad placed 10^th as a team with 240 points and returns two runners (Cayli Hume and Anna Keeley) who scored points in 2018. Hume finished 58^th with a time of 22:52.3 and Keeley placed 63^rd with a time of 23:14.3. The duo will be joined in this year's championship by freshmen Sydney Burton, Delaney Kemp, Jaybe Shufelberger, Cailan Steward and Hannah Stewart.

In the 23-year history of the Big 12 Cross Country Championship, former member Colorado leads all schools with 12 titles on the men's side and 11 championships on the women's side. Oklahoma State is the active leader for Big 12 victories on the men's side with nine while Iowa State leads the women's field with seven championships in the active leaderboard.

K-State's lone Big 12 Championship came back in 1998 from women's team as Korene Hinds led the way for the Wildcats en route to a first-place finish with 78 points. Throughout both the 6k and 8k races, only five schools in Big 12 Championship history have garnered conference championships (Colorado, Oklahoma State, Iowa State, Texas Tech and K-State).

The Wildcats got a taste of some of the nation's top schools in their last outing at the Under Armour Pre-Nationals Invitational on October 19 in Terre Haute, Indiana, as the men's squad went up against powerhouse programs BYU and Colorado, who are ranked No. 2 and 3 in the USTFCCCA national polls. BYU and Colorado claimed the top spots in the Men's 8k Blue Race at the Burke Golf Course, while fellow Big 12 members Oklahoma State (11^th) and Kansas (19^th) both finished in the top-25 of the meet. The Wildcats finished 28^th out of the 38 participating schools and were led by sophomore Cooper Schroeder, who placed 75^th at a pace of 24:37.8.

The men's team remains in the top 15 of the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Midwest Region poll, sitting at No. 14. The poll was taken back on October 21^st.

During the Women's White 6k Race, K-State was once again led by freshman Jaybe Shufelberger, as the Topeka, Kansas, native would record the highest finish among both teams at the Lavern Gibson Cross Country Course, bringing home a 36^th place finish at a time of 22:04.7. Three more Wildcats would round out the top 100 with Shufelberger that included freshman Hannah Stewart (81^st, 22:53.4), senior Anna Keeley (95^th, 23:06.7) and sophomore Cayli Hume (96^th, 23:08.1 and help K-State grab a team-overall 22^nd place finish.

Results will be made available on www.kstatesports.com and K-State Track & Field and Cross Country social media accounts following the conclusion of Saturday's races.

For more information on the Big 12 Championship race in Waco, Texas, click here.

Under Armour Pre-Nationals Invitational Recap

K-State Men
- The team finished in 28^th place out of 38 schools
- With the 28^th place finish, the Wildcats would fall outside the top three for the first time in any event during the 2019 season
- Sophomore Cooper Schroeder took home the top spot for K-State, finishing in 75^th place during the Men's 8k Blue race at a time of 24:37.8
  - Set a personal record during the 8k run at the Burke Golf Course
  - Finished as the only Wildcat inside the top-100 for the event
- Sophomore Jackson Schroeder completed the race at a time of 25:04.9, crossing the line at 125^th place
  - This was Schroeder's first meet of 2019

K-State Women
- Shufelberger earned the top placing among both the men's and women's squads for K-State, finishing at 36^th place during the Women's White 6k Race with a time of 22:04.7.
  - This was the third-straight meet Shufelberger has led the women' squad, finishing in the top-25 in the two previous races
- Four Wildcats achieved personal records during the 6k race:
  - Shufelberger (36^th, 22:04.7)
  - Hannah Stewart (81^st, 22:53.4)
  - Delaney Kemp (132^nd, 23:46.8)
  - Sydney Burton (142^nd, 24:04.4)

2018 Big 12 Championships (Ames, Iowa)

K-State Men
- 5^th place (162 points)
- Top performer: Cooper Schroeder (22^nd)
K-State Women
- 10^th Place (240 points)
- Top Performer: Emma Wren (37^th)

For the latest on K-State cross country follow @kstatesports and @KStateTFXC on Twitter or Kansas State Track & Field/Cross Country on Facebook.

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Players Mentioned

Dylan Brenneman

Sydney Burton

Kerby Depenbusch

Cayli Hume

Anna Keeley

Delaney Kemp

David Lutgen

Ethan Powell

Mike Rohlinger

Cooper Schroeder

Jackson Schroeder

Jaybe Shufelberger

Hadley Splechter

Noah Stevenson

Hannah Stewart

Jack Thomas

Emma Wren

Kansas State University Athletics