Completed Event: Cross Country versus Bob Timmons Classic on August 29, 2025 , , Men 2nd | Women 1st
Final
Cross Country
vs Bob Timmons Classic
Men 2nd | Women 1st
Photo by: Anaya Boseman/Kansas Athletics
Emmah Jemutai Qualifies for the NCAA Cross Country Championships as First Jayhawk Since 2023
11/15/2025 5:10:00 PM | Cross Country
LAWRENCE, Kan. - After a very strong performance at the NCAA Midwest Regionals on Friday, Emmah Jemutai qualified as an at-large individual runner for NCAA Cross Country Championships in Columbia, Mo. on Saturday, Nov. 22. Jemutai is the first individual Jayhawk to qualify since 2023 when Lona Latema and Chandler Gibbens qualified.
Jemutai, who is in her second season as a cross country runner after competing primarily as a track athlete, has been a leader for the Jayhawks all year long. She has competed in all five meets Kansas, finishing no lower than 42nd overall.
Jemutai opened the season with a second place finish at the Bob Timmons Classic and a new personal best 5K time of 18:09.6. Following the opening race, Kansas head coach Stanley Redwine already knew a special season was coming for Emmah. "Emmah's great. She just started off where she finished out last year. She's continuously done well, and we're looking forward to her doing great things."
She followed her second place performance up by being the top Jayhawk finisher in the following four meets, placing 23rd, 42nd, 25th and 12th overall in very competitive fields. At the Big 12 Championship, she set a personal best 6K time of 20:14.3, breaking her personal record she set just two weeks prior at the Pre-National Invitational.
Jemutai's race to qualify at the NCAA Midwest Regional was her best performance of the year, jumping out to eighth place for the first half of the race. She then dropped to 13th overall, before tracking down one other individual runner to finish 12th and grab the fourth and final qualifying spot.
In addition to her being the top cross country runner for the women's team, Jemutai is also a sensational track athlete. She set the Kansas 800 and 1,500 meter records last season at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship, and was recently named one of six Track & Field captains for the 2025-2026 season.
"We're excited for her, and she's always done a great job. When it has been time to represent Kansas and our program, she's always represented well and that is truly how I feel about her. So we're super proud of her." Redwine said.
UP NEXT:
Jemutai will travel to Columbia, Missouri to compete in the NCAA Championships on Saturday, November 22nd. The women's 6K is scheduled to begin at 9:20 a.m. and will be streamed live on ESPNU. More information can be found here.
Jemutai, who is in her second season as a cross country runner after competing primarily as a track athlete, has been a leader for the Jayhawks all year long. She has competed in all five meets Kansas, finishing no lower than 42nd overall.
Jemutai opened the season with a second place finish at the Bob Timmons Classic and a new personal best 5K time of 18:09.6. Following the opening race, Kansas head coach Stanley Redwine already knew a special season was coming for Emmah. "Emmah's great. She just started off where she finished out last year. She's continuously done well, and we're looking forward to her doing great things."
She followed her second place performance up by being the top Jayhawk finisher in the following four meets, placing 23rd, 42nd, 25th and 12th overall in very competitive fields. At the Big 12 Championship, she set a personal best 6K time of 20:14.3, breaking her personal record she set just two weeks prior at the Pre-National Invitational.
Jemutai's race to qualify at the NCAA Midwest Regional was her best performance of the year, jumping out to eighth place for the first half of the race. She then dropped to 13th overall, before tracking down one other individual runner to finish 12th and grab the fourth and final qualifying spot.
In addition to her being the top cross country runner for the women's team, Jemutai is also a sensational track athlete. She set the Kansas 800 and 1,500 meter records last season at the Big 12 Outdoor Championship, and was recently named one of six Track & Field captains for the 2025-2026 season.
"We're excited for her, and she's always done a great job. When it has been time to represent Kansas and our program, she's always represented well and that is truly how I feel about her. So we're super proud of her." Redwine said.
UP NEXT:
Jemutai will travel to Columbia, Missouri to compete in the NCAA Championships on Saturday, November 22nd. The women's 6K is scheduled to begin at 9:20 a.m. and will be streamed live on ESPNU. More information can be found here.
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
Kansas Cross Country // Rim Rock Classic // 9.29.18
Monday, October 01
Kansas Cross Country // Bob Timmons Classic // 9.1.18
Saturday, September 01
Jayhawks run at NCAA Midwest Regional // Kansas Cross Country // 11.10.17
Saturday, November 11
Jayhawks run at Big 12 Championship // Kansas Cross Country // 10.28.17
Saturday, October 28