Kansas cross country set for Bob Timmons Classic Saturday

Senior Hannah Dimmick won the 2016 Bob Timmons Classic women’s 5K race. 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas men’s and women’s cross country teams will open the 2017 season on Saturday, September 2, by hosting the Bob Timmons Dual Classic at Rim Rock Farm. The men’s 6K race is slated to begin at 9 a.m., with the women’s 5K scheduled to follow at 10 a.m. The Jayhawks will be competing against UMKC and Oral Roberts in the meet.
 
The Kansas women have a fairly young team this season, with eight out of the 13 members having never competed at the Division I level. Among the returners, however, is arguably the most prolific runner in Kansas women’s history in junior Sharon Lokedi. Coming off a 2016 season that included the first Big 12 individual title in Kansas women’s history, as well as a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships and her second All-America honor, the Eldoret, Kenya native is poised for a big season.
 
Out of 16 runners on the men’s roster, 10 are underclassmen, but the Jayhawks return a good core including brothers Chris and Michael Melgares, who look to lead the team this season. Senior Chris Melgares finished in the top two for Kansas in all four races he competed in last year, including a 17th-place finish at the Big 12 Championship. Junior Michael Melgares was the Jayhawks’ top finisher at the 2016 NCAA Midwest Regional with a 32nd-place finish in the 10K race.
 
“I know the team is very excited to get back out there,” assistant cross country coach Michael Whittlesey said. “The team did a great job this summer, so we are in a good position fitness-wise and their focus has been outstanding the first couple of weeks. We have been very tight with our groups in pack running and workout stuff, so we are excited about that and how people are stepping forward. We are running as a complete pack right now.”
 
In the history of the Bob Timmons Classic, the women’s team has put an individual on the victory stand eight times in 13 years, including last season, as 2017 senior Hannah Dimmick crossed the line first with an 18:21.9 5K time. The men’s team had an unbeaten streak of placing first up until 2015 when the meet’s format changed, but claimed four of the top five scoring positions last season to reassert their dominance at the meet.
 
Following Saturday’s race, the Jayhawks have nearly a month before their next meet, the Rim Rock Classic on September 30. The meet will take place at Rim Rock Farm, with the women’s 6K race scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., with the men’s 8K race slated for 10 a.m.
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