Completed Event: Women's Volleyball versus Iowa State on October 10, 2025 , Win , 3, to, 1
Final
Women's Volleyball
3
vs Iowa State
1
Friday, October 17
Columbia, Mo.
Men: 10:45 AM | Women: 10:00 AM
University of Kansas
at
Pre-National Invitational
Photo by: Anaya Boseman/Kansas Athletics
Kansas Cross Country Set for Pre-National Invitational against Top Programs in the Country
10/16/2025 10:45:00 AM | Cross Country
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas cross country will run its penultimate race of the 2025 regular season at the University of Missouri's Pre-National Invitational on Friday, October 17th, at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo.
Kansas is scheduled to compete in the women's 6K Invitational at 10 a.m. and the men's 8K Invitational at 10:45 a.m. The race was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 18th, but was moved up to Friday, October 17th due to weather.
Last time out, the Jayhawks raced in the Gans Creek Classic, also hosted by Missouri at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course. The men took fifth, and the women finished seventh in their division. Despite familiarity with the course, Kansas anticipates a different style of race.
"On the men's side, especially, we didn't get out fast enough last meet and got buried. We know this race is going to go a lot faster, and we have to be more prepared to get out into a better position. So that's been part of the focus in what we've been doing training-wise." Kansas assistant head coach Michael Whittlesey said when asked about the differences between races.
Kansas is set to run its top runners from last meet, with freshman Reagan Kibet, the ninth-place finisher, set to lead the way for the men. Kibet will be joined by Ryo Higuchi (52nd), Parker Walion (57th), Tanner Talley (65th), Quenton Walion (91st), Sawyer Schmidt (95th), Hobbs Campbell (114th) and Lenny Njoroge (152nd) who all finished last meet. Paul Ngasharr is also set to make his cross country debut for the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks attacked training hard in between meets. "[We've done] really well, the guys especially … they've been a lot more aggressive with what we're trying to do. So [I'm] excited about that. Paul [Ngasharr] has been joining the group in the workouts lately, so we're excited about having him back and ready to race again as well."
For the women, Kaitlyn Swartz, who finished 12th at the Gans Creek Classic, aims to build upon her best run of the season. Emmah Jemutai (23rd) will also look to push the pace for the Jayhawks, while Naomi Hunter (129th) and Mia Murray (149th) look to improve on their last race. Bethany Druse will make her second appearance of the season, while Marisa January and Abigail O'Leary will compete in their first races of the season.
"[The] women have been really focused, and they've been doing a really good job of continuing to add to what they've been doing earlier in the year. So [we're] excited for both teams." Whittlesey said.
In the week three USTFCCCA poll, the Kansas men's team was ranked 13th in the Midwest Region, while the women's team remained unranked. Both teams will compete in challenging fields this weekend.
Out of 33 teams competing, the men's team is set to go up against 27 other regionally ranked teams and five Top-30 nationally ranked teams, including #2 ranked Oklahoma State.Â
The women will compete against 33 regionally ranked teams, including seven Top-30 nationally ranked teams, like #1 ranked BYU and #3 ranked Florida, out of the 39 scoring teams.
"I know that the team has been more antsy to get back to racing. In this last prep [race] before the Big 12 [Championships], we've been doing a lot of work focusing on Big 12s. We have to continue to learn from each race as we prepare for the championship races." Whittlesey concluded.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
The races will be streamed live on ESPN+ and the SEC+ Network. Live results will be available throughout the day via PrimeTime Timing. Fans can stay current with results by following the official Kansas Track & Field and Cross Country X account @kansastfx.
Kansas is scheduled to compete in the women's 6K Invitational at 10 a.m. and the men's 8K Invitational at 10:45 a.m. The race was originally scheduled for Saturday, October 18th, but was moved up to Friday, October 17th due to weather.
Last time out, the Jayhawks raced in the Gans Creek Classic, also hosted by Missouri at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course. The men took fifth, and the women finished seventh in their division. Despite familiarity with the course, Kansas anticipates a different style of race.
"On the men's side, especially, we didn't get out fast enough last meet and got buried. We know this race is going to go a lot faster, and we have to be more prepared to get out into a better position. So that's been part of the focus in what we've been doing training-wise." Kansas assistant head coach Michael Whittlesey said when asked about the differences between races.
Kansas is set to run its top runners from last meet, with freshman Reagan Kibet, the ninth-place finisher, set to lead the way for the men. Kibet will be joined by Ryo Higuchi (52nd), Parker Walion (57th), Tanner Talley (65th), Quenton Walion (91st), Sawyer Schmidt (95th), Hobbs Campbell (114th) and Lenny Njoroge (152nd) who all finished last meet. Paul Ngasharr is also set to make his cross country debut for the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks attacked training hard in between meets. "[We've done] really well, the guys especially … they've been a lot more aggressive with what we're trying to do. So [I'm] excited about that. Paul [Ngasharr] has been joining the group in the workouts lately, so we're excited about having him back and ready to race again as well."
For the women, Kaitlyn Swartz, who finished 12th at the Gans Creek Classic, aims to build upon her best run of the season. Emmah Jemutai (23rd) will also look to push the pace for the Jayhawks, while Naomi Hunter (129th) and Mia Murray (149th) look to improve on their last race. Bethany Druse will make her second appearance of the season, while Marisa January and Abigail O'Leary will compete in their first races of the season.
"[The] women have been really focused, and they've been doing a really good job of continuing to add to what they've been doing earlier in the year. So [we're] excited for both teams." Whittlesey said.
In the week three USTFCCCA poll, the Kansas men's team was ranked 13th in the Midwest Region, while the women's team remained unranked. Both teams will compete in challenging fields this weekend.
Out of 33 teams competing, the men's team is set to go up against 27 other regionally ranked teams and five Top-30 nationally ranked teams, including #2 ranked Oklahoma State.Â
The women will compete against 33 regionally ranked teams, including seven Top-30 nationally ranked teams, like #1 ranked BYU and #3 ranked Florida, out of the 39 scoring teams.
"I know that the team has been more antsy to get back to racing. In this last prep [race] before the Big 12 [Championships], we've been doing a lot of work focusing on Big 12s. We have to continue to learn from each race as we prepare for the championship races." Whittlesey concluded.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
The races will be streamed live on ESPN+ and the SEC+ Network. Live results will be available throughout the day via PrimeTime Timing. Fans can stay current with results by following the official Kansas Track & Field and Cross Country X account @kansastfx.
Players Mentioned
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