Kansas State University Athletics
Wildcats Return to Cross Country Course on September 5
Aug 08, 2025 | Cross Country
For the first time since 2021, the Wildcats will start the season outside the state of Kansas
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The K-State men's and women's cross country teams announced the 2025 race schedule on Friday (August 8). The first race is Friday, September 5, in the Platte River Rumble Gold at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Neb., with five more meets this season.
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On Friday, October 3, the Wildcats will return to South Bend, Ind., for the first time since 2019 for the Joe Piane Invitational hosted by Notre Dame at Burke Golf Course. To wrap up the regular season the Wildcats will take part in the Pre-National Invitational on Saturday, October 18, at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course hosted by Missouri in Columbia, Mo.
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To kick off the postseason, the Big 12 Championship will be in Lawrence, Kan., on Friday, October 31, at Rim Rock Farm, the first conference race Kansas will host since 2020. The NCAA Midwest Regional will take place two weeks later on Friday, November 14, in Stillwater, Okla., at OSU Cross Country Course.
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The season will wrap up with qualifying runners participating in the NCAA Championship back at Missouri on Saturday, November 22.
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"We really wanted to elevate the level of competition we line up against this season," head coach Kate Bucknam said. "Notre Dame and Pre-Nationals are going to be challenging but necessary to set us up well for the post season. They are fast courses which suit our team's strengths and will be great opportunities to build confidence and gain experience throughout the season."
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This will be the second season the Wildcats are under the guidance of Bucknam. Last season she led Tommy Hazen to two top-10 times in the K-State all-time records in both the men's 8k and 10k, his fastest season in four years.
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"We have a great mixture of vets and newcomers on our women's side, where our men's team is pretty young, so that exposure and match ups with regional and nationally ranked teams are going to be good tests for us and ultimately prime us for November." Bucknam added.
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The women's team will be led by three seniors, Cecilia Fisher, Grace Meyer and Alexa Rios. At the 2024 Midwest Regional, Meyer finished first for the Cats in 50th place with a 6k time of 20:55.3, while then-freshman Christine Jerono finished in the top-100 in 21:25.0 in 89th place. Rios competed in three meets, for the first time since 2022, finishing at the Regional with a personal best of 22:46.1.
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The men's team will have three returners, junior Jacob Norris and sophomores Jackson Esquibel and Brock Olsen. Five freshmen make up the rest of the team, four of them natives of Kansas. Esquibel and Norris are the lone returners who competed in the 10k at the Midwest Regional, as a true freshman, Esquibel finished 89th in 31:08.2 while Norris also ran his first 10k in a time of 31:37.7.
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K-State 2025 Cross Country Schedule:
September 5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Platte River Rumble Gold
October 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Joe Piane Invitational
October 18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Pre-National Invitational
October 31Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Big 12 Championship
November 14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NCAA Midwest Regional
November 22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NCAA Championship
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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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On Friday, October 3, the Wildcats will return to South Bend, Ind., for the first time since 2019 for the Joe Piane Invitational hosted by Notre Dame at Burke Golf Course. To wrap up the regular season the Wildcats will take part in the Pre-National Invitational on Saturday, October 18, at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course hosted by Missouri in Columbia, Mo.
Â
To kick off the postseason, the Big 12 Championship will be in Lawrence, Kan., on Friday, October 31, at Rim Rock Farm, the first conference race Kansas will host since 2020. The NCAA Midwest Regional will take place two weeks later on Friday, November 14, in Stillwater, Okla., at OSU Cross Country Course.
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The season will wrap up with qualifying runners participating in the NCAA Championship back at Missouri on Saturday, November 22.
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"We really wanted to elevate the level of competition we line up against this season," head coach Kate Bucknam said. "Notre Dame and Pre-Nationals are going to be challenging but necessary to set us up well for the post season. They are fast courses which suit our team's strengths and will be great opportunities to build confidence and gain experience throughout the season."
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This will be the second season the Wildcats are under the guidance of Bucknam. Last season she led Tommy Hazen to two top-10 times in the K-State all-time records in both the men's 8k and 10k, his fastest season in four years.
Â
"We have a great mixture of vets and newcomers on our women's side, where our men's team is pretty young, so that exposure and match ups with regional and nationally ranked teams are going to be good tests for us and ultimately prime us for November." Bucknam added.
Â
The women's team will be led by three seniors, Cecilia Fisher, Grace Meyer and Alexa Rios. At the 2024 Midwest Regional, Meyer finished first for the Cats in 50th place with a 6k time of 20:55.3, while then-freshman Christine Jerono finished in the top-100 in 21:25.0 in 89th place. Rios competed in three meets, for the first time since 2022, finishing at the Regional with a personal best of 22:46.1.
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The men's team will have three returners, junior Jacob Norris and sophomores Jackson Esquibel and Brock Olsen. Five freshmen make up the rest of the team, four of them natives of Kansas. Esquibel and Norris are the lone returners who competed in the 10k at the Midwest Regional, as a true freshman, Esquibel finished 89th in 31:08.2 while Norris also ran his first 10k in a time of 31:37.7.
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K-State 2025 Cross Country Schedule:
September 5Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Platte River Rumble Gold
October 3Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Joe Piane Invitational
October 18Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Pre-National Invitational
October 31Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Big 12 Championship
November 14Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NCAA Midwest Regional
November 22Â Â Â Â Â Â Â NCAA Championship
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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.
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