KU Cross Country Reports to Campus

Aug. 17, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. – It’s officially cross country season at the University of Kansas.

The KU cross country team reported to campus Sunday afternoon and will hold its first practice Tuesday morning, head coach Stanley Redwine announced.

Redwine returns 14 letterwinners from a year ago, and welcomes 18 newcomers between the men’s and women’s teams. The men’s roster will be headlined by Bret Imgrund. The junior from Shawnee, Kan., finished at least third on the team in five of the six meets last season, including a runner-up finish at the Kansas State/Kansas Duel where teammate and two-time All-American Colby Wissel was the winner.

“Bret has been really doing well, and hopefully he’s going to lead the team to doing great things this year,” Redwine said.

The women will be led this season by junior Lauren Bonds. A Hutchinson, Kan., product, Bonds was the team’s No. 1 runner in every meet she competed in last season. She earned all-region honors with a 25th-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships, placed third at the Bob Timmons Invitational, and turned in a ninth-place finish at the NCAA Pre-Nationals. At the Big 12 Championships, she placed 30th, a career-best conference finish.

“Lauren has done an excellent job for us,” Coach Redwine said. “She is a great competitor. That’s one thing that she has. She’s able to compete and go beyond expectations and do a good job.”

The Jayhawks begin their season in less than two weeks, hosting the Bob Timmons Classic Aug. 30 at Rim Rock Farm.

The men’s team won two events in 2007, while the women took home the title at the Bob Timmons Classic a year ago.