Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, October 18
Peoria, Ill.
3 p.m. (M) / 3:45 p.m. (W)
Kansas State University
at
Bradley Pink Classic
Wildcats Climb K-State Top-25 Records at Bradley Pink Classic
Oct 18, 2024 | Cross Country
Three Wildcats climbed up the K-State all-time top-25 records
The K-State men's and women's cross country teams ran in the Bradley Pink Classic on Friday (Oct. 18) at Newman Golf Course, highlighted by three Wildcats jumping up in the K-State all-time records.
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In the last regular season meet, K-State's women claimed 11th place with 304 points, the men's team finishing 15th with 390 points. The women from Northwestern won with 44 points, by a margin of 79 points ahead of Loyola (Ill.), while North Dakota State's men won with 139 points.
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"It doesn't always look great on paper, you know, the team scores and stuff," head coach Kate Bucknam said. "But I think individually we're seeing a lot of success, and I think hopefully those things will all come together as a team."
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In the women's 6k, junior Grace Meyer broke 21 minutes for the first time finishing 17th with a time of 20:47.92. Recording a new personal best by 41 seconds, Meyer now sits at no. 10 all-time in the K-State records. She was previously sitting just outside the top-25 with her then-best of 21:24.5.
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"It's definitely a huge confidence booster," Meyer said. "It's a great feeling to consistently get better every race and it's a great reassurance to know that I am on the right track with my training. I am definitely not satisfied, and if anything, this race made me want more."
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Senior Tommy Hazen finished right outside the men's top-20, with a new 8k personal best time of 24:18.0, in 21st place. Hazen now moves up to no. 12 from no. 17 in K-State all-time top-25 records.
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Freshman Christine Jerono also sneaks into the women's K-State records, taking the no. 25 spot with a personal best of her own at 21:23.8 in 53rd place.
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Just four more women raced for the Wildcats, as freshman Gracie Jacobs (69th; 21:35.38) and senior Cecilia Fisher (70th; 21:35.75) crossed the finish line consecutively. Sophomore Paige Baker (105th; 21:58.54) and freshman Bree Newport (110th; 22:00.31) also finished seconds behind one another.
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Senior Alex Gutierrez (79th; 24:49.67) finished in the top-100, while the remaining men's Wildcats included three freshmen. In the second 8k of the year, freshman Jackson Esquibel (110th; 25:08.82), sophomore Jacob Norris (128th; 25:18.47) and freshman Lucas Holdren (144th; 25:26.47) all improved from the Gans Creek Invitational on Sept. 27.
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The Wildcats will start the postseason with the Big 12 Championship on Friday, Nov. 1, in Waco, Texas at the Cottonwood Golf Course.
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"We will be racing against some of the nation's best teams, but for me that's exciting," Meyer said. "I think that this higher level of competition will push all of us to compete and fight harder than we have ever done this season."
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After the conference race, K-State will look to advance in the NCAA Midwest Regional back in Peoria, Ill., on Nov. 15.
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FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head Coach Kate Bucknam
On the team's mindset going into the race…
"Our race plan was to try to get out a little bit more aggressively, I thought we executed that pretty well. Saw a lot more just confidence in the guy's going into this race and was just another good experience for our freshmen… We're just gaining more and more experience each race and you start to see the hard work pay off a little bit more."
Â
On the impact the freshmen have on the team…
"They've done a great job so far, we're probably more reliant on them than we'd like to be… Just keep learning from the experiences and kind of taking notes as we go, and hopefully they, you know, not feel the pressure too much on their back, but just be excited about that, the position they're in, and realize the kind of the importance they have."
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FROM THE COURSE
Junior Grace Meyer
On her continued improvement going into the postseason…
"Now's the time I need to put my head down and keep working hard leading into the conference meet and regionals following. I'm very excited to keep competing and I wouldn't be accomplishing what I am without the support of my coaches and teammates, so I thank them for that. I am extremely proud of the whole girls' team today and it was definitely a step in the right direction for each one of us."
Â
On the outlook of a young team going into the postseason…
"I think that it's awesome that these freshmen are stepping up and I am extremely proud of them. The freshmen, along with the rest of the team, have put in a lot of hard work so far this season and have really bought into the training. Our team is definitely younger and smaller than years past, but I can say that we have not let that bother us. If anything, it has pushed us to work harder and fight in every race so far. I think that this race was a big confidence booster leading into the two races remaining and I'm excited to see what we can do at the conference and regional level. I think it's going to be a great experience for these freshmen to experience racing in the Big 12 Conference because it is no joke."
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MEN'S TEAM FINISHES (8K)
1. North Dakota State, 139 pts
2. Kentucky, 160 pts
3. Iowa, 165 pts
4. Michigan, 165 pts
5. Wichita State, 177 pts
6. Drake, 178 pts
7. Illinois-Chicago, 203 pts
8. Bradley, 207 pts
9. Cincinnati, 219 pts
10. IU Indianapolis, 248 pts
15. K-State, 390 pts
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K-STATE'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (8K)
21. Tommy Hazen, 24:17.96 (PR)
79. Alex Gutierrez, 24:49.67 (PR)
110. Jackson Esquibel, 25:08.82 (PR)
128. Jacob Norris, 25:18.47 (PR)
144. Lucas Holdren, 25:26.47 (PR)
173. Peyton Willbanks, 25:42.48
210. Matthew Hauser, 26:10.25
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WOMEN'S TEAM FINISHES (6K)
1. Northwestern, 44 pts
2. Loyola (Ill.), 123 pts
3. Bradley, 151 pts
4. Indiana State, 192 pts
5. Ohio, 194 pts
6. Butler, 200 pts
7. Tulsa, 208 pts
8. Kentucky, 230 pts
9. North Dakota State, 246 pts
10. Iowa, 275 pts
11. K-State, 304 pts
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K-STATE'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (6K)
17. Grace Meyer, 20:47.92 (PR)
53. Christine Jerono, 21:23.78 (PR)
69. Gracie Jacobs, 21:35.38 (PR)
70. Cecilia Fisher, 21:35.75
105. Paige Baker, 21:58.54 (PR)
110. Bree Newport, 22:00.31 (PR)
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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), Instagram and Facebook.
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In the last regular season meet, K-State's women claimed 11th place with 304 points, the men's team finishing 15th with 390 points. The women from Northwestern won with 44 points, by a margin of 79 points ahead of Loyola (Ill.), while North Dakota State's men won with 139 points.
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"It doesn't always look great on paper, you know, the team scores and stuff," head coach Kate Bucknam said. "But I think individually we're seeing a lot of success, and I think hopefully those things will all come together as a team."
Â
In the women's 6k, junior Grace Meyer broke 21 minutes for the first time finishing 17th with a time of 20:47.92. Recording a new personal best by 41 seconds, Meyer now sits at no. 10 all-time in the K-State records. She was previously sitting just outside the top-25 with her then-best of 21:24.5.
Â
"It's definitely a huge confidence booster," Meyer said. "It's a great feeling to consistently get better every race and it's a great reassurance to know that I am on the right track with my training. I am definitely not satisfied, and if anything, this race made me want more."
Â
Senior Tommy Hazen finished right outside the men's top-20, with a new 8k personal best time of 24:18.0, in 21st place. Hazen now moves up to no. 12 from no. 17 in K-State all-time top-25 records.
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Freshman Christine Jerono also sneaks into the women's K-State records, taking the no. 25 spot with a personal best of her own at 21:23.8 in 53rd place.
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Just four more women raced for the Wildcats, as freshman Gracie Jacobs (69th; 21:35.38) and senior Cecilia Fisher (70th; 21:35.75) crossed the finish line consecutively. Sophomore Paige Baker (105th; 21:58.54) and freshman Bree Newport (110th; 22:00.31) also finished seconds behind one another.
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Senior Alex Gutierrez (79th; 24:49.67) finished in the top-100, while the remaining men's Wildcats included three freshmen. In the second 8k of the year, freshman Jackson Esquibel (110th; 25:08.82), sophomore Jacob Norris (128th; 25:18.47) and freshman Lucas Holdren (144th; 25:26.47) all improved from the Gans Creek Invitational on Sept. 27.
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The Wildcats will start the postseason with the Big 12 Championship on Friday, Nov. 1, in Waco, Texas at the Cottonwood Golf Course.
Â
"We will be racing against some of the nation's best teams, but for me that's exciting," Meyer said. "I think that this higher level of competition will push all of us to compete and fight harder than we have ever done this season."
Â
After the conference race, K-State will look to advance in the NCAA Midwest Regional back in Peoria, Ill., on Nov. 15.
Â
FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head Coach Kate Bucknam
On the team's mindset going into the race…
"Our race plan was to try to get out a little bit more aggressively, I thought we executed that pretty well. Saw a lot more just confidence in the guy's going into this race and was just another good experience for our freshmen… We're just gaining more and more experience each race and you start to see the hard work pay off a little bit more."
Â
On the impact the freshmen have on the team…
"They've done a great job so far, we're probably more reliant on them than we'd like to be… Just keep learning from the experiences and kind of taking notes as we go, and hopefully they, you know, not feel the pressure too much on their back, but just be excited about that, the position they're in, and realize the kind of the importance they have."
Â
FROM THE COURSE
Junior Grace Meyer
On her continued improvement going into the postseason…
"Now's the time I need to put my head down and keep working hard leading into the conference meet and regionals following. I'm very excited to keep competing and I wouldn't be accomplishing what I am without the support of my coaches and teammates, so I thank them for that. I am extremely proud of the whole girls' team today and it was definitely a step in the right direction for each one of us."
Â
On the outlook of a young team going into the postseason…
"I think that it's awesome that these freshmen are stepping up and I am extremely proud of them. The freshmen, along with the rest of the team, have put in a lot of hard work so far this season and have really bought into the training. Our team is definitely younger and smaller than years past, but I can say that we have not let that bother us. If anything, it has pushed us to work harder and fight in every race so far. I think that this race was a big confidence booster leading into the two races remaining and I'm excited to see what we can do at the conference and regional level. I think it's going to be a great experience for these freshmen to experience racing in the Big 12 Conference because it is no joke."
Â
MEN'S TEAM FINISHES (8K)
1. North Dakota State, 139 pts
2. Kentucky, 160 pts
3. Iowa, 165 pts
4. Michigan, 165 pts
5. Wichita State, 177 pts
6. Drake, 178 pts
7. Illinois-Chicago, 203 pts
8. Bradley, 207 pts
9. Cincinnati, 219 pts
10. IU Indianapolis, 248 pts
15. K-State, 390 pts
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K-STATE'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (8K)
21. Tommy Hazen, 24:17.96 (PR)
79. Alex Gutierrez, 24:49.67 (PR)
110. Jackson Esquibel, 25:08.82 (PR)
128. Jacob Norris, 25:18.47 (PR)
144. Lucas Holdren, 25:26.47 (PR)
173. Peyton Willbanks, 25:42.48
210. Matthew Hauser, 26:10.25
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WOMEN'S TEAM FINISHES (6K)
1. Northwestern, 44 pts
2. Loyola (Ill.), 123 pts
3. Bradley, 151 pts
4. Indiana State, 192 pts
5. Ohio, 194 pts
6. Butler, 200 pts
7. Tulsa, 208 pts
8. Kentucky, 230 pts
9. North Dakota State, 246 pts
10. Iowa, 275 pts
11. K-State, 304 pts
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K-STATE'S INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (6K)
17. Grace Meyer, 20:47.92 (PR)
53. Christine Jerono, 21:23.78 (PR)
69. Gracie Jacobs, 21:35.38 (PR)
70. Cecilia Fisher, 21:35.75
105. Paige Baker, 21:58.54 (PR)
110. Bree Newport, 22:00.31 (PR)
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-- k-statesports.com --
 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), Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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