Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, November 14
Stillwater, Okla.
Kansas State University
vs
NCAA Midwest Regional
Wildcats Finish Season in NCAA Midwest Regional
Nov 14, 2025 | Cross Country
Five freshmen ran their first NCAA race in the second year under Kate Bucknam
STILLWATER, Okla. – The K-State men's and women's cross country teams concluded the 2025 season on Friday (November 14) in the NCAA Midwest Regional at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course.
The women's team ran the 6k with a 19th place finish with 481 points while the men ran the first 10k of the season in 21st place with 568 points. The host, Oklahoma State, swept both the men's and women's races for a third straight year with 38 and 55 points, respectively.
Senior Grace Meyer led the women's team during her third regional race with a 55th place time of 21:44.5. Junior Vienna Lahner had her best 6k race of the season at 22:14.9 in 88th place while fellow junior Paige Baker was the third Wildcat to finish in the top-100, finishing 93rd in 22:17.0.
Three freshmen women competed in their first NCAA race, Bree Allen (120th; 22:38.9), Payton Fink (136th; 22:49.1) and Hanna Keltner (159th; 23:07.1). Senior Cecilia Fisher (174th; 23:18.8) ran her fourth and final regional race to cap off her cross country career.
For the men, the sophomore duo of Jackson Esquibel and Brock Olsen continued to lead the pack. Esquibel ran his second 10k race in 32:27.5 placing 68th, while Olsen was not too far behind in 87th place at 32:44.1.
The three remaining men also clocked their first 10k times, freshman Logan Beckman was just shy of 32 minutes and a top-100 finish at 33:00.6 in 102nd place. Rounding out the team was senior Julian Avila (149th; 34:02.1) and freshman Canyon Buehler (169th; 34:32.5) out of 199 finishing runners.
"You can look at the scoreboard, you can look at all that stuff, but there was so much success that happened this season that's just going to be behind the scenes and can't tell, but it's there and it's happening." Head coach Kate Bucknam said.
K-State concludes the 2025 season under second-year coach Bucknam with multiple firsts. Six new times in the all-time top-25 school records, with Cecilia Fisher and sophomore Stella Miner inking their names in both the 5k and 6k categories, a women's team win during the Platte River Rumble Gold to start the season and a combined total of 11 freshmen, compared to nine last season.
FROM THE COURSE
Head Coach Kate Bucknam
On the men's team finish…
"They had a really good approach going into this race. And we had a good plan, the plan was to be really, really conservative, really through about six, even 7k, it's just a long race and so they did it. They executed that plan like they actually ran really well... And so I'm super, super proud of them. You look at Jackson and Brock and Logan and those guys just, they ran really, really smart. And of course, so did Julian and Canyon, but you know, those top three guys, they're just consistent, and they knew what they were doing."
On the women's team finish…
"For the women, I really think those younger girls stepped up and covered, you know. You got to do that, you got to be ready, can't assume that everything's going to go perfectly up front, in front of you, so you have to be ready for that. So, I think that was a good lesson today for them to understand, like, you know, you can't check out at any point because you just don't know what's going on. You look at Bree Allen had a great day today, Paige Baker, those girls have just been really consistent. And you know, with our team, not being 100% healthy, it was their opportunity to step in and contribute to the team score."
On the ideas for next year after a season with a young team…
"I just think these experiences are really important. You know, how we feel going into this race next year on both the men's and women's side is going to be vastly different than how we approach it today, just because now we have big races under our belt, you know… We got to get better, there's no doubt about it. Like we're young, and you're racing against people that are fourth, fifth year seniors, right? And so it's really only going to go up from here, I think. And these kids are learning I can tell they're taking mental notes and they're really understanding the race plan and how to approach these big races and executing."
Junior Paige Baker
On the mentality to step up for the team when down runners…
"Yes absolutely. A few of our top girls were injured today, so I was very determined to pick up the slack and do my part to keep us competitive in a very fast field."
On the difference between NCAA and Big 12 races…
"Our conference is extremely competitive, so there was a lot of nerves going into that race. I wasn't very nervous going into regionals. I was mostly excited for the opportunity to race at Oklahoma State for the first time!"
On the dynamic this season learning from the seniors while helping the freshmen…
"These seniors have been my best friends for the past two and a half years and this past season has taught me to take advantage of every second I have with them. They have been excellent leaders each in their own unique way and I've learned that different leadership styles are needed in different situations. These freshmen are so incredible and they bring the best energy to every practice. They are eager to learn and eager to improve, so leading them has been a breeze. I really am so incredibly blessed to be on this team with these amazing girls."
Women's Team Finishes (6k)
1. Oklahoma State, 55 points
2. Northwestern, 86 pts
3. Iowa State, 108 pts
4. Missouri, 141 pts
5. Minnesota, 144 pts
6. Bradley, 216 pts
7. Oklahoma, 278 pts
8. North Dakota, 289 pts
9. Tulsa, 297 pts
10. South Dakota St., 319 pts
11. Loyola (Ill.), 359 pts
12. Illinois State, 382 pts
13. Nebraska, 413 pts
14. Wichita State, 422 pts
15. Illinois, 423 pts
19. K-State, 481 pts
K-State's Individual Results
55. Grace Meyer, 21:44.5
88. Vienna Lahner, 22:14.9
93. Paige Baker, 22:17.0
120. Bree Allen, 22:38.9
136. Payton Fink, 22:49.1
159. Hanna Keltner, 23:07.1
174. Cecilia Fisher, 23:18.8
Men's Team Finishes (10k)
1. Oklahoma State, 38 points
2. Iowa State, 41 pts
3. Oklahoma, 109 pts
4. Tulsa, 117 pts
5. Loyola (Ill.), 187 pts
6. Minnesota, 211 pts
7. Missouri, 222 pts
8. Wichita State, 247 pts
9. Bradley, 247 pts
10. South Dakota St., 252 pts
11. Kansas, 282 pts
12. Illinois-Chicago, 372 pts
13. North Dakota, 415 pts
14. Oral Roberts, 420 pts
15. Iowa, 430 pts
21. K-State, 568 pts
K-State's Individual Results
68. Jackson Esquibel, 32:27.5
87. Brock Olsen, 32:44.1
102. Logan Beckman, 33:00.6
149. Julian Avila, 34:02.1
169. Canyon Buehler, 34:32.5
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.
The women's team ran the 6k with a 19th place finish with 481 points while the men ran the first 10k of the season in 21st place with 568 points. The host, Oklahoma State, swept both the men's and women's races for a third straight year with 38 and 55 points, respectively.
Senior Grace Meyer led the women's team during her third regional race with a 55th place time of 21:44.5. Junior Vienna Lahner had her best 6k race of the season at 22:14.9 in 88th place while fellow junior Paige Baker was the third Wildcat to finish in the top-100, finishing 93rd in 22:17.0.
Three freshmen women competed in their first NCAA race, Bree Allen (120th; 22:38.9), Payton Fink (136th; 22:49.1) and Hanna Keltner (159th; 23:07.1). Senior Cecilia Fisher (174th; 23:18.8) ran her fourth and final regional race to cap off her cross country career.
For the men, the sophomore duo of Jackson Esquibel and Brock Olsen continued to lead the pack. Esquibel ran his second 10k race in 32:27.5 placing 68th, while Olsen was not too far behind in 87th place at 32:44.1.
The three remaining men also clocked their first 10k times, freshman Logan Beckman was just shy of 32 minutes and a top-100 finish at 33:00.6 in 102nd place. Rounding out the team was senior Julian Avila (149th; 34:02.1) and freshman Canyon Buehler (169th; 34:32.5) out of 199 finishing runners.
"You can look at the scoreboard, you can look at all that stuff, but there was so much success that happened this season that's just going to be behind the scenes and can't tell, but it's there and it's happening." Head coach Kate Bucknam said.
K-State concludes the 2025 season under second-year coach Bucknam with multiple firsts. Six new times in the all-time top-25 school records, with Cecilia Fisher and sophomore Stella Miner inking their names in both the 5k and 6k categories, a women's team win during the Platte River Rumble Gold to start the season and a combined total of 11 freshmen, compared to nine last season.
FROM THE COURSE
Head Coach Kate Bucknam
On the men's team finish…
"They had a really good approach going into this race. And we had a good plan, the plan was to be really, really conservative, really through about six, even 7k, it's just a long race and so they did it. They executed that plan like they actually ran really well... And so I'm super, super proud of them. You look at Jackson and Brock and Logan and those guys just, they ran really, really smart. And of course, so did Julian and Canyon, but you know, those top three guys, they're just consistent, and they knew what they were doing."
On the women's team finish…
"For the women, I really think those younger girls stepped up and covered, you know. You got to do that, you got to be ready, can't assume that everything's going to go perfectly up front, in front of you, so you have to be ready for that. So, I think that was a good lesson today for them to understand, like, you know, you can't check out at any point because you just don't know what's going on. You look at Bree Allen had a great day today, Paige Baker, those girls have just been really consistent. And you know, with our team, not being 100% healthy, it was their opportunity to step in and contribute to the team score."
On the ideas for next year after a season with a young team…
"I just think these experiences are really important. You know, how we feel going into this race next year on both the men's and women's side is going to be vastly different than how we approach it today, just because now we have big races under our belt, you know… We got to get better, there's no doubt about it. Like we're young, and you're racing against people that are fourth, fifth year seniors, right? And so it's really only going to go up from here, I think. And these kids are learning I can tell they're taking mental notes and they're really understanding the race plan and how to approach these big races and executing."
Junior Paige Baker
On the mentality to step up for the team when down runners…
"Yes absolutely. A few of our top girls were injured today, so I was very determined to pick up the slack and do my part to keep us competitive in a very fast field."
On the difference between NCAA and Big 12 races…
"Our conference is extremely competitive, so there was a lot of nerves going into that race. I wasn't very nervous going into regionals. I was mostly excited for the opportunity to race at Oklahoma State for the first time!"
On the dynamic this season learning from the seniors while helping the freshmen…
"These seniors have been my best friends for the past two and a half years and this past season has taught me to take advantage of every second I have with them. They have been excellent leaders each in their own unique way and I've learned that different leadership styles are needed in different situations. These freshmen are so incredible and they bring the best energy to every practice. They are eager to learn and eager to improve, so leading them has been a breeze. I really am so incredibly blessed to be on this team with these amazing girls."
Women's Team Finishes (6k)
1. Oklahoma State, 55 points
2. Northwestern, 86 pts
3. Iowa State, 108 pts
4. Missouri, 141 pts
5. Minnesota, 144 pts
6. Bradley, 216 pts
7. Oklahoma, 278 pts
8. North Dakota, 289 pts
9. Tulsa, 297 pts
10. South Dakota St., 319 pts
11. Loyola (Ill.), 359 pts
12. Illinois State, 382 pts
13. Nebraska, 413 pts
14. Wichita State, 422 pts
15. Illinois, 423 pts
19. K-State, 481 pts
K-State's Individual Results
55. Grace Meyer, 21:44.5
88. Vienna Lahner, 22:14.9
93. Paige Baker, 22:17.0
120. Bree Allen, 22:38.9
136. Payton Fink, 22:49.1
159. Hanna Keltner, 23:07.1
174. Cecilia Fisher, 23:18.8
Men's Team Finishes (10k)
1. Oklahoma State, 38 points
2. Iowa State, 41 pts
3. Oklahoma, 109 pts
4. Tulsa, 117 pts
5. Loyola (Ill.), 187 pts
6. Minnesota, 211 pts
7. Missouri, 222 pts
8. Wichita State, 247 pts
9. Bradley, 247 pts
10. South Dakota St., 252 pts
11. Kansas, 282 pts
12. Illinois-Chicago, 372 pts
13. North Dakota, 415 pts
14. Oral Roberts, 420 pts
15. Iowa, 430 pts
21. K-State, 568 pts
K-State's Individual Results
68. Jackson Esquibel, 32:27.5
87. Brock Olsen, 32:44.1
102. Logan Beckman, 33:00.6
149. Julian Avila, 34:02.1
169. Canyon Buehler, 34:32.5
-- 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
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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