Friday, October 28
Lubbock, Texas
10 am
Baylor
vs
Big 12 Championships
XC Heads to Lubbock for Big 12 Championships
10/27/2022 3:43:00 PM | Cross Country
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Six weeks after running in the Texas Tech Opener, Baylor returns to Lubbock Christian's Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course for the 2022 Big 12 Championships on Friday morning.
The women's 6K starts at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8K race at 11 a.m., with the Bears hoping to improve on last year's finishes when the women were sixth and the men seventh.
"I don't really know how it's going to shake out," Baylor coach David Barnett said. "The weather is going to be pretty hectic, it's going to be windy and cold, which is going to change things up some. But, it's good. It's going to get down to competition and a lot less about times. I think we'll definitely have a much-improved performance from last year, but it's going to come down to a few individuals, how they compete, to see where the team race comes out."
One advantage is course knowledge. The women finished third at last month's Tech Opener and has sophomore Taylor Whitfield the five scoring runners from that meet – seniors Ellie Hodge and Sophia Leidner and sophomores Hayden Gold, Hayden Gold, Jordan Ledington and Cate Urbani.
"It's one less thing you have to worry about," Barnett said. "Just that comfort of knowing what's what. You know what to expect. You're not going to overestimate the course or underestimate the course. It just makes it feel more comfortable."
While the men only had two individuals run at the Tech meet, sophomore Drew Snyder said that knowing the course is "super-helpful."
"There's a hairpin turn right around the mile and a half mark, which is really muddy," said Snyder, who was third on the team and 46th overall at Texas A&M's Arturio Barrios Invitational. "I know that sounds funny to say, but now avoiding that spot, or just on race day you don't realize, 'Oh shoot, there's a muddy spot on this course,' and I'm face-first in a pile of mud. Just those little things that give you a competitive edge."
At last month's Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo., where the women finished eighth in a loaded 24-team field, they packed up and had a separation of just 34 seconds between the first and fifth runners. Hodge was Baylor's first runner and 31st overall, running the 6K course in 21:16.0, with Whitfield being the fifth runner and 67th overall at 21:50.7.
"That's the goal, so just doing what we've done in practice every day," Barnett said. "We're trying to replicate that to the best of abilities from Missouri and do that at conference. Because when you do that, you're really putting the pressure on other teams. That's what you have to do. You can't be reacting, you have to be the one putting the pressure on other people."
Urbani, a consistent No. 2 runner, said the team has been working in practices and races "just staying together as a pack."
"We know since we train together, we can race together," she said. "Just staying together as a pack and using that to be ahead of other teams is a big advantage. Top five as a team is what we're looking for."
Senior Ryan Day gives the men's team a solid No. 1 runner, posting back-to-back top-10 individual finishes at the Gans Creek Classic and Arturo Barrios Invitational. Joining Day and Snyder are senior Ryan Hodge, grad transfer Noah Monroy from UC San Diego, freshman Ethan Wrase and sophomore Devin Duran.
"He's probably one of the fastest distance runners I've ever met," Snyder said of Day. "I don't understand how he can outsprint most people. I know I'm not a very fast sprinter, but he's pretty quick. He really just brings an element of competitiveness. There's always an edge of who's going to be up there with each other. You need that, because you don't want a team getting complacent with how we all finish. He likes to mix things up, for sure."
While the men are 11th in the latest South Central Region rankings, the women moved up four spots to sixth after back-to-back top-10 finishes.
"I get excited, just because I know the work's already been done and we've been able to avoid a bunch of hiccups that some teams kind of run into," Barnett said. "We don't have a win-loss record like a lot of other teams, it all comes down to this."
WACO, Texas – The Baylor cross country squad is headed to Lubbock, Texas, for the 2022 Big 12 Championships, hosted by Texas Tech at Lubbock Christian's Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course.
The Bears return to the conference meet after the men finished seventh and the women sixth in the 2021 edition of the event.
"I get excited [for the postseason] just because I know the work's already been done and we've been able to avoid a bunch of the hiccups that some teams have kind of run into," said head cross country coach David Barnett. "So yeah, I'm looking forward to it. We don't have a win-loss record like a lot of other teams. It all comes down to this."
The conference field includes two top-25 teams for the men's race in Oklahoma State (No. 4) and Texas (No. 23). Oklahoma State and West Virginia represent the Big 12 in the women's rankings, at No. 3 and No. 28, respectively.
Friday morning's action begins with the women's 6k at 10 a.m. Baylor will be highlighted by Ellie Hodge, Hayden Gold, Jordan Ledington, Sophia Leidner, Cate Urbani and Taylor Whitfield.
"We've had Ellie [Hodge] up front by a fair amount, and then the next four women kind of together," said Barnett. "The better day that Ellie has, the more it takes the pressure off the other folks."
The men will run following the women at 11 a.m. in their 8k race. Ryan Day, Ryan Hodge, Devin Duran, Drew Snyder, Noah Monroy and Ethan Wrase will be in the box for the Bears.
"[Ryan Day] made the step, I would say, in an outdoor season last year," said Barnett. "He ended up being ninth in the outdoor 5K, and that was big for him. Usually when that happens, you can make the jump in cross country after that. And fortunately, he's been able to stay healthy and do that. But mentally, he's made a big jump, because it's one thing to do it physically, but mentally to put yourself up there when you know it's a five-mile race. He's just focusing on the race he's in and not doing too much. So, he's been good. I've been really, really proud of him."
Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will be streaming the meet, and live results will be provided by PrimeTime Timing.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor track and field, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorTrack.
Baylor Bear Insider
Six weeks after running in the Texas Tech Opener, Baylor returns to Lubbock Christian's Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course for the 2022 Big 12 Championships on Friday morning.
The women's 6K starts at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8K race at 11 a.m., with the Bears hoping to improve on last year's finishes when the women were sixth and the men seventh.
"I don't really know how it's going to shake out," Baylor coach David Barnett said. "The weather is going to be pretty hectic, it's going to be windy and cold, which is going to change things up some. But, it's good. It's going to get down to competition and a lot less about times. I think we'll definitely have a much-improved performance from last year, but it's going to come down to a few individuals, how they compete, to see where the team race comes out."
One advantage is course knowledge. The women finished third at last month's Tech Opener and has sophomore Taylor Whitfield the five scoring runners from that meet – seniors Ellie Hodge and Sophia Leidner and sophomores Hayden Gold, Hayden Gold, Jordan Ledington and Cate Urbani.
"It's one less thing you have to worry about," Barnett said. "Just that comfort of knowing what's what. You know what to expect. You're not going to overestimate the course or underestimate the course. It just makes it feel more comfortable."
While the men only had two individuals run at the Tech meet, sophomore Drew Snyder said that knowing the course is "super-helpful."
"There's a hairpin turn right around the mile and a half mark, which is really muddy," said Snyder, who was third on the team and 46th overall at Texas A&M's Arturio Barrios Invitational. "I know that sounds funny to say, but now avoiding that spot, or just on race day you don't realize, 'Oh shoot, there's a muddy spot on this course,' and I'm face-first in a pile of mud. Just those little things that give you a competitive edge."
At last month's Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo., where the women finished eighth in a loaded 24-team field, they packed up and had a separation of just 34 seconds between the first and fifth runners. Hodge was Baylor's first runner and 31st overall, running the 6K course in 21:16.0, with Whitfield being the fifth runner and 67th overall at 21:50.7.
"That's the goal, so just doing what we've done in practice every day," Barnett said. "We're trying to replicate that to the best of abilities from Missouri and do that at conference. Because when you do that, you're really putting the pressure on other teams. That's what you have to do. You can't be reacting, you have to be the one putting the pressure on other people."
Urbani, a consistent No. 2 runner, said the team has been working in practices and races "just staying together as a pack."
"We know since we train together, we can race together," she said. "Just staying together as a pack and using that to be ahead of other teams is a big advantage. Top five as a team is what we're looking for."
Senior Ryan Day gives the men's team a solid No. 1 runner, posting back-to-back top-10 individual finishes at the Gans Creek Classic and Arturo Barrios Invitational. Joining Day and Snyder are senior Ryan Hodge, grad transfer Noah Monroy from UC San Diego, freshman Ethan Wrase and sophomore Devin Duran.
"He's probably one of the fastest distance runners I've ever met," Snyder said of Day. "I don't understand how he can outsprint most people. I know I'm not a very fast sprinter, but he's pretty quick. He really just brings an element of competitiveness. There's always an edge of who's going to be up there with each other. You need that, because you don't want a team getting complacent with how we all finish. He likes to mix things up, for sure."
While the men are 11th in the latest South Central Region rankings, the women moved up four spots to sixth after back-to-back top-10 finishes.
"I get excited, just because I know the work's already been done and we've been able to avoid a bunch of hiccups that some teams kind of run into," Barnett said. "We don't have a win-loss record like a lot of other teams, it all comes down to this."
WACO, Texas – The Baylor cross country squad is headed to Lubbock, Texas, for the 2022 Big 12 Championships, hosted by Texas Tech at Lubbock Christian's Chaparral Ridge Cross Country Course.
The Bears return to the conference meet after the men finished seventh and the women sixth in the 2021 edition of the event.
"I get excited [for the postseason] just because I know the work's already been done and we've been able to avoid a bunch of the hiccups that some teams have kind of run into," said head cross country coach David Barnett. "So yeah, I'm looking forward to it. We don't have a win-loss record like a lot of other teams. It all comes down to this."
The conference field includes two top-25 teams for the men's race in Oklahoma State (No. 4) and Texas (No. 23). Oklahoma State and West Virginia represent the Big 12 in the women's rankings, at No. 3 and No. 28, respectively.
Friday morning's action begins with the women's 6k at 10 a.m. Baylor will be highlighted by Ellie Hodge, Hayden Gold, Jordan Ledington, Sophia Leidner, Cate Urbani and Taylor Whitfield.
"We've had Ellie [Hodge] up front by a fair amount, and then the next four women kind of together," said Barnett. "The better day that Ellie has, the more it takes the pressure off the other folks."
The men will run following the women at 11 a.m. in their 8k race. Ryan Day, Ryan Hodge, Devin Duran, Drew Snyder, Noah Monroy and Ethan Wrase will be in the box for the Bears.
"[Ryan Day] made the step, I would say, in an outdoor season last year," said Barnett. "He ended up being ninth in the outdoor 5K, and that was big for him. Usually when that happens, you can make the jump in cross country after that. And fortunately, he's been able to stay healthy and do that. But mentally, he's made a big jump, because it's one thing to do it physically, but mentally to put yourself up there when you know it's a five-mile race. He's just focusing on the race he's in and not doing too much. So, he's been good. I've been really, really proud of him."
Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will be streaming the meet, and live results will be provided by PrimeTime Timing.
To stay up to date throughout the season on all things Baylor track and field, follow the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @BaylorTrack.
- BaylorBears.com -
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
Baylor Cross Country: Coach David Barnett on the Baylor Coach's Show | August 20, 2025
Friday, August 22
Baylor Track & Field: NCAA Championship Highlights | June 11-14, 2025
Monday, June 16
Just the beginning for the Prince 📈
Monday, June 16
Always been in our corner 🫶
Saturday, June 14
