Jayhawks Prepared to Open 2026 Cross Country Season at Bob Timmons Classic

Saturday, September 5

Lawrence, Kan.

Men's 6K: 8:00 AM | Women's 6K: 8:45 AM

University of Kansas

Bob Timmons Classic

LAWRENCE, KS - October 31, 2025 - Parker Walion during the Big 12 Cross Country Championship in Lawrence, KS. Photo by Jordyn Pennington/Kansas Athletics

Photo by: Jordyn Pennington/Kansas Athletics

Jayhawks Prepared to Open 2026 Cross Country Season at Bob Timmons Classic

9/4/2026 7:30:00 AM | Cross Country

Home Meet Central Live Stats

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kansas cross country kicks off its 2026 season this weekend at the Bob Timmons Classic on Saturday, Sep. 5, at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence. The men are scheduled to compete in the 6K beginning at 8 a.m. and the women will follow with the 5K at 8:45 a.m.

"I think we have a great team this coming year, and I'm really excited about the talent that we have on the team, and how well they worked over the summer," Kansas assistant head coach Michael Whittlesey said. "The continuity on the men's side is going to be really huge and we are excited to see the guys that haven't raced with us in cross yet. On the women's side, we do have several people that are new and so getting them out to run together, especially with Emmah, is going to be hugely important. Everyone is in great shape and we are excited to get the year going."

The opening meet will be Kansas' sole home meet of the season and one of three competitions before the Big 12 Championship. Due to extreme heat in the forecast, the start times were moved up one hour before they were originally scheduled, with the men now beginning at 8 a.m. and the women running at 8:45 a.m.

The Kansas men's team opens the season ranked No. 4 in the Midwest Region and ranked No. 29 nationally by USTFCCCA. Last season, they finished fifth at the Big 12 Championship and 11th at the NCAA Midwest Regional.

The Jayhawks are set to return top finishers from last season in All-Regional finisher Reagan Kibet, Ryo Higuchi and Paul Ngasharr while also retaining plenty of experience with previous scorers in Sawyer Schmidt, Parker Walion, Lenny Njoroge, Hobbs Campbell and Andrew Schumacher. In addition to the returning runners, Kansas also added Stephen Maroro and Barnabas Ndiwa to bolster the roster.

During the 2025-26 track and field season, Maroro broke the Kansas 10,000 meter run school record while also picking up Second Team All-American honors with his 11th place finish at the NCAA Outdoor Championship. Ndiwa also joined the Kansas record books last season with the fourth fastest 10,000 meters time in school history, while also previously winning the 2025 Gans Creek Classic, the 2025 NJCAA Region 11 Championship and the 2024 NJCAA Half Marathon Championship, with a career nine top three cross country finishes.

The Kansas women's team will be looking to win their third straight Bob Timmon's Classic after winning by 34 points last year. The team returns All-Regional runner and NCAA Cross Country Championship qualifier Emmah Jemutai and top finisher Kaitlyn Swartz from last season. The team will also be looking for contributions from returners Naomi Hunter, Mia Murray, Bethany Druse and Abigail O'Leary.

The team will also add Maureen Chepkirui, Irine Jepkirui, and Abree Winfrey. The USTFCCA announced that the women's team will begin the season ranked No. 11 in the Midwest Region, up 13 spots from the end of last season where they finished 11th in the Big 12 and 24th in the region.

More meet information is available here, including course maps and live results information.

HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
Live results will be available throughout the morning via Black Squirrel Timing. Official results and a meet recap will be posted on kuathletics.com following the conclusion of the races. Fans can stay current with results by following the official Kansas Track & Field and Cross Country X or Instagram account @kansastfx.