Kansas State University

K-State's men's and women's cross country teams competed in the Bradley Pink Classic at Newman Golf Course on Friday (Oct. 18), with three Wildcats setting the K-State all-time record.

At the last regular season meet, K-State's women placed 11th^Th Place with 304 points, the men's team took 15th place^Th with 390 points. The Northwestern women won by 44 points, a 79-point margin over Loyola (Ill.), while the North Dakota State men won by 139 points.

“It doesn’t always look good on paper, you know, the team results and stuff,” head coach said Kate Bucknam said. “But I think we have a lot of success individually, and I hope all of these things come together as a team.”

In the women's 6 km run, junior Grace Meyer broke 21 minutes for the first time and finished 17th^Th with a time of 20:47.92. With a new personal best of 41 seconds, Meyer is now No. 10 all-time in K-State records. Previously, she was just outside the top 25 with her best time at the time of 21:24.5.

“It’s definitely a huge confidence boost,” Meyer said. “It's a great feeling to get better and better with every race and it's a great reassurance to know that I'm on the right track with my training. I’m definitely not happy and if anything, this race has left me wanting more.”

senior Tommy Hazen finished just outside the men's top 20 with a new personal best of 24:18.0 in '21^st Location. Hazen now moves up to number 1. 12 of No. 17 in the K-State Top 25 all-time records.

Freshmen Christine Jerono also sneaks into the women's K-State records, taking the No. 1 spot. 25th place with a personal best of 21:23.8 in 53 minutes^approx Location.

Only four other women competed for the Wildcats as freshmen Gracie Jacobs (69^Th; 21:35.38) and senior Cecilia Fischer (70^Th; 21:35.75) crossed the finish line one after the other. Second semester Paige Baker (105^Th; 21:58.54) and newcomer Bree Newport (110^Th; 22:00.31) also crossed the finish line seconds in a row.

senior Alex Gutierrez (79^Th; 24:49.67) finished in the top 100, while the remaining men's Wildcats included three freshmen. In the second 8K run of the year, freshman Jackson Esquibel (110^Th; 25:08.82), sophomore Jacob Norris (128^Th; 25:18.47) and newcomer Lucas Holdren (144^Th; 25:26.47) all improved from the Gans Creek Invitational on September 27th.

The Wildcats begin the postseason with the Big 12 Championship on Friday, November 1st in Waco, Texas at the Cottonwood Golf Course.

“We’re going to be playing against some of the best teams in the country, but to me that’s exciting,” Meyer said. “I think this higher level of competition will push us all to compete and fight harder than we ever have this season.”

After the conference race, K-State will attempt to advance to the NCAA Midwest Regional on November 15 in Peoria, Illinois.

FROM THE HEAD COACH
Head coach Kate Bucknam
About the team's attitude before the race…

“Our race plan was to try to come out a little more aggressive. I think we executed that pretty well. We saw a lot more confidence in the guy going into this race and it was just another good experience for our newbies… That's who we are.” You just gain more experience with each race and you realize the hard work pays off pays little more.”

About the influence the newcomers have on the team…

“They've done a great job so far, we're probably relying on them more than we'd like… Just keep learning from the experience and taking notes along the way and hopefully they won't.” You're feeling the pressure too much their backs, but just be excited about the situation they are in and realize the importance they have.”

OFF COURSE
Junior Grace Meyer
On their continued improvement in the postseason…

“Now is the time to put my head down and continue to work hard to prepare for conference and subsequent regionals. I'm really looking forward to continuing to compete and without the support of my coaches and teammates I wouldn't achieve what I am.” So I thank them for that. I’m very proud of the entire girls team today and it was definitely a step in the right direction for each and every one of us.”

On the prospects of a young team heading into the postseason…

“I think it’s great to see these freshmen step up and I’m very 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 sunk into training. “Our team is definitely younger and smaller than in previous years, but I can say that that hasn't bothered us so far This is a big confidence boost for the two remaining races and I'm excited to see what we can do at the conference and regional levels. I think it will be a great experience for these freshmen to experience racing in the Big 12 Conference, because it's no joke.”

MEN’S TEAM FINISHES (8KM)

1. North Dakota State, 139 points
2. Kentucky, 160 points
3. Iowa, 165 points
4. Michigan, 165 points
5. Wichita State, 177 points
6. Drake, 178 points
7. Illinois-Chicago, 203 points
8. Bradley, 207 points
9. Cincinnati, 219 points
10. IU Indianapolis, 248 points
15. K-State, 390 points

K-STATE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (8K)

21. Tommy Hazen24:17.96 (PR)
79. Alex Gutierrez24:49.67 (PR)
110. Jackson Esquibel25:08.82 (PR)
128. Jacob Norris25:18.47 (PR)
144. Lucas Holdren25:26.47 (PR)
173. Peyton Willbanks25:42.48
210. Matthew Hauser26:10.25

FINISHES OF THE WOMEN’S TEAM (6 KM)

1. Northwestern, 44 points
2. Loyola (Illinois), 123 points
3. Bradley, 151 points
4. Indiana State, 192 points
5. Ohio, 194 points
6. Butler, 200 points
7. Tulsa, 208 points
8. Kentucky, 230 points
9. North Dakota State, 246 points
10. Iowa, 275 points
11. K-State, 304 points

K-STATE INDIVIDUAL RESULTS (6K)

17. Grace Meyer20:47.92 (PR)
53. Christine Jerono21:23.78 (PR)
69. Gracie Jacobs21:35.38 (PR)
70. Cecilia Fischer21:35.75
105. Paige Baker21:58.54 (PR)
110. Bree Newport22:00.31 (PR)

— k-statesports.com —

How to follow the “cats”: For complete information about 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.