Friday, September 4
Ashland, Neb.
7:45 a.m.
Kansas State University
vs
Platte River Rumble Gold
K-State Clinches Team Wins at Platte River Rumble Gold
Sep 04, 2026 | Cross Country
This is the first time both the men and women earned team titles since 2022
ASHLAND, Neb. – The K-State men's and women's cross country teams both secured a team win while sophomore transfer Max Larson won the men's 6k to start the season on Friday (September 4) at the Platte River Rumble Gold at Eugene T. Mahoney State Park.
The men's team finished with 19 points, ahead of second place finisher Creighton with 38 points. The women scored similarly in the 5k race with 20 points, also ahead of the Bluejays. This marks the first time both K-State teams have swept team victories since September 17, 2022, at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.
The K-State women have won the team title for consecutive seasons, finishing 1st in 2025 with 34 points. Since the inaugural race in 2022, the Platte River Rumble has not crowned a consecutive women's team winner, while 2023, 2024 Creighton won the men's team title.
Larson, a native of Leawood, Kan., won his first race as a Wildcat after transferring from Tulsa, with a time of 18:27.2. Junior Jackson Esquibel claimed the runner-up spot in 18:32.3 while fellow junior Brock Olsen finished 3rd, just four seconds behind, at 18:36.0. Sophomore Dylan Plath rounded out the men's top-5 shy of 19 minutes in 18:52.3 while sophomore Vance Krudwig recorded his fastest 6k race with a time of 19:17.5 in 8th place.
"Finishing 1-3 on the men's side was something I really thought was possible. I just wasn't sure what order our men would finish," assistant coach Brent Ewing said. "Max Larson really took control of the race with 1k to go and didn't look back. There's been such a tight training group with them and our ladies. I anticipate our top 5 will look different from meet to meet and that's a good problem to have."
The women's team had five runners cross the finish line consecutively, starting with sophomore Emma Baum who earned a runner-up finish in her first cross country race with a time of 17:41.9, five-tenths of a second behind the winner from Creighton. Freshman Joyce Kiptabut, a native of Eldoret, Kenya, was two seconds behind Baum in 3rd place at 17:43.9. Two more Cats ran a 5k under 18 minutes, junior Christine Jerono in 4th place at 17:46.2 and freshman McKenna Montgomery in 17:58.8 to finish 5th.
"I was really proud of the way our group competed today. Our depth really showed on our ladies side. Having a 34 second spread from runners 1-5 was impressive," Ewing added. "Emma Baum ran an incredible second half of the race, almost taking the victory in her first cross country race of her entire life. Joyce Kiptabut and Christine Jerono set the tone early on and McKenna Montgomery didn't back down in her first collegiate meet, running just one second off of her personal best. It's a really exciting time to be a part of this group because we're incredibly young."
Sophomore Payton Fink (6th; 18:15.6) finished nine seconds shy of her fastest time last season and senior Paige Baker (8th; 18:28.1) also landed in the top-10.
"Our first goal of the season was to win the Platte River Rumble. We can walk away from this meet with confidence as we get back to a hard training block these next few weeks."
K-State's next race is Friday, September 25, at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo., hosted by the University of Missouri.
Women's Team Finishes (5k)
1. K-State, 20 pts
2. Creighton, 53 pts
3. Omaha, 59 pts
4. Indian Hills CC, 120 pts
K-State's Individual Results
2. Emma Baum, 17:41.9
3. Joyce Kiptabut, 17:43.9
4. Christine Jerono, 17:46.2
5. McKenna Montgomery, 17:58.8
6. Payton Fink, 18:15.6
8. Paige Baker, 18:28.1
13. Bree Allen, 18:52.6
16. Sage Siegrist, 19:06.6
19. Hanna Keltner, 19:17.3
24. Payton Wurtz, 19:52.8
30. Bree Newport, 20:28.6
Men's Team Finishes (6k)
1. K-State, 19 pts
2. Creighton, 38 pts
3. Iowa Western CC, 83 pts
4. Indian Hills CC, 106 pts
5. Southeast CC, 145 pts
K-State's Individual Results
1. Max Larson, 18:27.2
2. Jackson Esquibel, 18:32.3
3. Brock Olsen, 18:36.0
5. Dylan Plath, 18:52.3
8. Vance Krudwig, 19:17.5 (PR)
14. Logan Beckman, 19:47.4
21. Jacob Norris, 20:44.2
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 men's team finished with 19 points, ahead of second place finisher Creighton with 38 points. The women scored similarly in the 5k race with 20 points, also ahead of the Bluejays. This marks the first time both K-State teams have swept team victories since September 17, 2022, at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational in Lincoln, Neb.
The K-State women have won the team title for consecutive seasons, finishing 1st in 2025 with 34 points. Since the inaugural race in 2022, the Platte River Rumble has not crowned a consecutive women's team winner, while 2023, 2024 Creighton won the men's team title.
Larson, a native of Leawood, Kan., won his first race as a Wildcat after transferring from Tulsa, with a time of 18:27.2. Junior Jackson Esquibel claimed the runner-up spot in 18:32.3 while fellow junior Brock Olsen finished 3rd, just four seconds behind, at 18:36.0. Sophomore Dylan Plath rounded out the men's top-5 shy of 19 minutes in 18:52.3 while sophomore Vance Krudwig recorded his fastest 6k race with a time of 19:17.5 in 8th place.
"Finishing 1-3 on the men's side was something I really thought was possible. I just wasn't sure what order our men would finish," assistant coach Brent Ewing said. "Max Larson really took control of the race with 1k to go and didn't look back. There's been such a tight training group with them and our ladies. I anticipate our top 5 will look different from meet to meet and that's a good problem to have."
The women's team had five runners cross the finish line consecutively, starting with sophomore Emma Baum who earned a runner-up finish in her first cross country race with a time of 17:41.9, five-tenths of a second behind the winner from Creighton. Freshman Joyce Kiptabut, a native of Eldoret, Kenya, was two seconds behind Baum in 3rd place at 17:43.9. Two more Cats ran a 5k under 18 minutes, junior Christine Jerono in 4th place at 17:46.2 and freshman McKenna Montgomery in 17:58.8 to finish 5th.
"I was really proud of the way our group competed today. Our depth really showed on our ladies side. Having a 34 second spread from runners 1-5 was impressive," Ewing added. "Emma Baum ran an incredible second half of the race, almost taking the victory in her first cross country race of her entire life. Joyce Kiptabut and Christine Jerono set the tone early on and McKenna Montgomery didn't back down in her first collegiate meet, running just one second off of her personal best. It's a really exciting time to be a part of this group because we're incredibly young."
Sophomore Payton Fink (6th; 18:15.6) finished nine seconds shy of her fastest time last season and senior Paige Baker (8th; 18:28.1) also landed in the top-10.
"Our first goal of the season was to win the Platte River Rumble. We can walk away from this meet with confidence as we get back to a hard training block these next few weeks."
K-State's next race is Friday, September 25, at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo., hosted by the University of Missouri.
Women's Team Finishes (5k)
1. K-State, 20 pts
2. Creighton, 53 pts
3. Omaha, 59 pts
4. Indian Hills CC, 120 pts
K-State's Individual Results
2. Emma Baum, 17:41.9
3. Joyce Kiptabut, 17:43.9
4. Christine Jerono, 17:46.2
5. McKenna Montgomery, 17:58.8
6. Payton Fink, 18:15.6
8. Paige Baker, 18:28.1
13. Bree Allen, 18:52.6
16. Sage Siegrist, 19:06.6
19. Hanna Keltner, 19:17.3
24. Payton Wurtz, 19:52.8
30. Bree Newport, 20:28.6
Men's Team Finishes (6k)
1. K-State, 19 pts
2. Creighton, 38 pts
3. Iowa Western CC, 83 pts
4. Indian Hills CC, 106 pts
5. Southeast CC, 145 pts
K-State's Individual Results
1. Max Larson, 18:27.2
2. Jackson Esquibel, 18:32.3
3. Brock Olsen, 18:36.0
5. Dylan Plath, 18:52.3
8. Vance Krudwig, 19:17.5 (PR)
14. Logan Beckman, 19:47.4
21. Jacob Norris, 20:44.2
-- 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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