Cross Country Kicks Off Season at Bob Timmons Classic

Saturday, September 2

Lawrence, Kan.

9 a.m. (M) / 9:45 a.m. (W)

Kansas State University

Bob Timmons Classic

Aug 31, 2023 | Cross Country

2023 Roster 2023 Schedule Live Results Rim Rock Farm 5k Map

The Wildcats start the second straight season in Lawrence

MANHATTAN, Kan. – The Kansas State men's and women's cross country teams open the 2023 season in a familiar spot on Saturday (Sept. 2) with the running of the Bob Timmons Classic in Lawrence, Kan., at Rim Rock Farm. It marks the second straight season the Wildcats open the season in Lawrence.

The men will run in the 6k at 9 a.m., CT with the women's 5k following at 9:45 a.m., CT. K-State will be joined at the meet by host Kansas, Kansas City and Oral Roberts.

The 2023 season brings change with the addition of four new Big 12 member schools, BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and UCF. For the Wildcats, the men's team lost five seniors to graduation, while the women return almost the entirety of their roster under second-year head coach Randy Cole. The men finished fourth at the 2022 Big 12 Championship, while the women placed seventh.

"It's a very, very strong league," Cole said in an interview with K-State Sports Extra writer D. Scott Fritchen. "For us, both men and women, we have to have a good pack attack and have somebody break through that all-conference, top-15 or top-10 level for us to place a little bit higher."

Last season at the Bob Timmons Classic the women's team won with 24 points, while the men finished second with 35 points, behind Kansas at 22 points.

Senior Hannah Stewart ran the fastest women's 5k for a Wildcat at Rim Rock Farm with a time of 18:07.7, a record previously held by Kassidy Johnson in 2020 and Irma Bettencourt from 1995 at 18:09.0.

Juniors Jack Vincent (18:52.1), Tommy Hazen (19:00.8), Matthew Hauser (19:20.7) and Alex Gutierrez (19:32.3) all ran their 6k personal bests last year in Lawrence.

Fifth year senior Kerby Depenbusch looks to lead the men's team after missing half of last season.

"Since we have a younger team and don't have the high numbers now, it's really going to take each and every person on the team really improving, and that starts with me," Depenbusch said.

K-State will also have some new faces on the course in freshmen Paige Baker, Ty Brechler, Devin Chappel and senior Aubry Donley in their first cross country meet as Wildcats.

How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter, Threads, Facebook and Instagram.