Missouri’s cross country season has finally begun, as they joined three other programs to kick off their season Friday morning at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia. The Tigers put up strong performances from both the men’s and women’s teams. 

The Tigers women’s team put up a meet-high 19 points to knock off Arkansas, Saint Louis and Wisconsin. The team was led by junior Suzy Lecoutre who finished first place with a time of 17:04.2 seconds. As for the men’s race, the Tigers were led to victory by senior Drew Rogers, with a 14:48.1 first place finish. Although he got on the podium, he was over a minute slower than his personal best of 13:41.63 seconds. Overall, two great performances from two talented upperclassmen. 

While the Tigers had strong individual performances, there were still standouts from the other participating programs. Oregon sophomore Sergio Del Barrio finished with a time of 14:54.0 seconds. His speed earned him a third place finish. 

This race saw 13 Mizzou runners in the top 15 across the men’s and women’s squads. Both Tiger teams are a mash-up of youth and experience, with strong performers in each grade. This broad dynamic is something the Tigers will lean on as the season continues. 

Overall, the Tigers fared well in their home opener. From their freshman to upperclassmen, this squad showed its diverse skill set and team pacing in this meet. They will look to build on this team success in their following meet in Nebraska.

Missouri will compete next at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 20, at the Greeno Dirksen Cross Country Invite in Lincoln, Nebraska.The Tigers will match up against Nebraska, Nebraska Wesleyan and the University of Northern Colorado. This will be the first time since 2021 that Missouri will face off against Nebraska. 

Edited by Killian Wright | [email protected]

Copy edited by Emma Harper | [email protected]

Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]