Saturday, October 28
Ames, Iowa
TBA
Baylor
vs
Big 12 Championship
XC Begins Postseason at Big 12 Championship
10/27/2023 12:00:00 PM | Cross Country
Bears set to compete at 10 a.m. in Ames, Iowa
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Insider
Adding BYU, which has top-5 men's and women's cross country teams, the Big 12 is "passing all the other conferences this year" Baylor coach David Barnett said, and will be the No. 1 conference in the country next year when powerhouse programs from Colorado and Utah are added.
"I think it's exciting," said Barnett, whose teams will compete in the Big 12 Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Iowa State Cross Country Course in Ames, Iowa.
"The better the conference is, the better it is for us. You need to know where you stand. . . . We want to make sure that whatever happens this weekend, that we're making steps toward bigger and better things down the road."
The men's 8,000-meter race, which includes a trio of top-10 teams in No. 2 Oklahoma State, third-ranked BYU and No. 6 Texas, begins at 10 a.m. In the women's 6K that begins at 11 a.m., all 14 schools will field teams, led by No. 4 BYU, sixth-ranked Oklahoma State and No. 17 Iowa Stat.
With the four new schools added this year, Baylor will have a tough time matching last year's meet, when the women and men were sixth and seventh, respectively.
"It'll be different just with the quality of the fields, so there are more people, but you're adding a team like BYU that's probably going to have 10 guys that might be in front of me," said sixth-year senior Ryan Hodge, who finished third on Baylor's team and 46th overall at last year's Big 12 meet.
"I don't want to throw it out and say it's not possible, but you also want to go in being realistic. Oklahoma State is ranked No. 2, BYU is No. 3, so there are 20 guys that potentially could be in front of or maybe should be in front and could be All-Americans in a month. It's definitely a different ballgame."
In last year's meet, the Baylor men defeated Oklahoma and TCU, while the women finished in the middle of the pack and ahead of Kansas State, Kansas, Texas Tech and TCU.
"I think it's a lot easier in this race because we'll have 14 teams (12 in the men's race)," Barnett said. "You only run so many people. In some of those races where you're talking about 400 people, you can kind of get lost in the shuffle. I think it makes things a little bit simpler.
"For this group, simple is definitely a good thing. Because when you've never been before, you want things as simple as possible. No different than if you have a freshman quarterback. Maybe you don't use the whole playbook."
Of Baylor's 17 total runners competing in the meet, Hodge is one of just five returners from last year's Big 12 Championship. Juniors Drew Snyder and Devin Duran are back for the men, while Jordan Ledington and Hayden Golden were the Nos. 5 and 6 runners for the women.
"The goal is always to improve," Ledington said. "And especially with more teams this year, I think either maintaining or improving your placement from last year is kind of a big goal. Individually, I'm just excited for a good race. Practice is fun, but it's the big races are really what makes it worth it."
Even with Hodge, Snyder and Duran, this is an extremely young Baylor men's team with freshmen Nolan Keenan, Straton Miller, Aiden Ramshaw and Kanalu Wong joining sophomore Caleb Ackman.
"Ryan Hodge is our leader. He's had a great season, a great career. So, this will be his last conference meet," Barnett said. "I'm super excited for Ryan. He's been looking really good. And then behind him, we just have a group of guys that it will be their first time going for a lot of them. For new people, first time doing the 8K, they've been competing really well. They've been very consistent, and consistency is the biggest thing at this level."
Freshman Rosanna Pugh has been a pleasant surprise, improving her 6K time by just under two minutes in leading the women's team at the Arturo Barrios Invite at Texas A&M with a time of 21:48.8.
"She's been racing in Australia, and she raced over the summer while other people were training," Barnett said. "I don't really know what to expect, to be honest. I wouldn't say it's been a surprise, but it's been a blessing to see her put herself out there and just compete."
Scoring runners in each of Baylor's three full-squad meets, Pugh, Gold and Ledington will be joined by grad student Chloe Gangnath, seniors Jackie Addy and Lily Williams, juniors Abby Morris and Alaina Zamorano and freshman Kat Helmer from Waco.
"I think Hayden's totally capable of being our top person, and she's put in the work," Barnett said. "She has the right attitude. She's definitely connected with the people in the past who have had success. She connected with Ellie (Hodge), who was all-region last year . . . Lily (Williams), who medaled last year (in the 4x400 relay); and with Anna (Kostarellis), who was really great in the spring. So, she's surrounding herself with the right people. I have a lot of confidence in Hayden."
Both races will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Noah Reed and John Nownes providing commentary, while live results can be found at Prime Time Timing.
Following an off week, Baylor will continue its postseason with the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 10 at Agri Park in Fayetteville, Ark.
AMES, Iowa – Baylor cross country is back on the road for meet No. 5 of the season and meet No. 1 of the postseason, the Big 12 Cross Country Championships. The Bears will toe the line to begin the men's 8,000-meter race at 10 a.m., followed by the women in the 6,000 meters at 11.
With the regular season highlighted by a women's team win at the season-opening UIW Twilight and a men's top-10 finish at the Gans Creek Classic, BU turns its attention to the conference championship that features an expanded field that includes BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and the UCF women's squad.
The men's race, with an entry list of 117 runners, will feature three top-10 teams from the USATFCCCA coaches' poll, as Oklahoma State sits second, BYU is third and Texas is sixth. The hosting Cyclones are also ranked at 17th.
In the women's race, only two squads fall in the top 10, with BYU at four and Oklahoma State at 6. Matching with the men's squad, Iowa State again ranks at No. 17. The women's race is scheduled to feature 137 student-athletes.
Baylor enters eight men and nine women for Saturday morning's championship.
Ryan Hodge, a sixth-year senior from Illinois, looks to lead the Baylor men for the fourth time this season and will be joined by Caleb Ackman, Devin Duran, Nolan Keenan, Straton Miller, Aiden Ramshaw, Drew Snyder and Kanalu Wong.
Both Bears to lead the Baylor team in a women's race this season will lace up on Saturday with Hayden Gold and Rosanna Pugh. Also in green and gold will be Jackie Addy, Chloe Gangnath, Kat Helmer, Jordan Ledington, Abby Morris, Lily Williams and Alaina Zamorano.
Fans can follow live results provided online by PrimeTime Timing. Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will carry the broadcast of the event, with commentary provided by Noah Reed and John Nownes.
For the Baylor Family in The Hawkeye State, admission to the Iowa State Cross Country Course is free. Spectator parking can be found in Lots 61A and 61B and at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center.
- BaylorBears.com -
Baylor Bear Insider
Adding BYU, which has top-5 men's and women's cross country teams, the Big 12 is "passing all the other conferences this year" Baylor coach David Barnett said, and will be the No. 1 conference in the country next year when powerhouse programs from Colorado and Utah are added.
"I think it's exciting," said Barnett, whose teams will compete in the Big 12 Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Iowa State Cross Country Course in Ames, Iowa.
"The better the conference is, the better it is for us. You need to know where you stand. . . . We want to make sure that whatever happens this weekend, that we're making steps toward bigger and better things down the road."
The men's 8,000-meter race, which includes a trio of top-10 teams in No. 2 Oklahoma State, third-ranked BYU and No. 6 Texas, begins at 10 a.m. In the women's 6K that begins at 11 a.m., all 14 schools will field teams, led by No. 4 BYU, sixth-ranked Oklahoma State and No. 17 Iowa Stat.
With the four new schools added this year, Baylor will have a tough time matching last year's meet, when the women and men were sixth and seventh, respectively.
"It'll be different just with the quality of the fields, so there are more people, but you're adding a team like BYU that's probably going to have 10 guys that might be in front of me," said sixth-year senior Ryan Hodge, who finished third on Baylor's team and 46th overall at last year's Big 12 meet.
"I don't want to throw it out and say it's not possible, but you also want to go in being realistic. Oklahoma State is ranked No. 2, BYU is No. 3, so there are 20 guys that potentially could be in front of or maybe should be in front and could be All-Americans in a month. It's definitely a different ballgame."
In last year's meet, the Baylor men defeated Oklahoma and TCU, while the women finished in the middle of the pack and ahead of Kansas State, Kansas, Texas Tech and TCU.
"I think it's a lot easier in this race because we'll have 14 teams (12 in the men's race)," Barnett said. "You only run so many people. In some of those races where you're talking about 400 people, you can kind of get lost in the shuffle. I think it makes things a little bit simpler.
"For this group, simple is definitely a good thing. Because when you've never been before, you want things as simple as possible. No different than if you have a freshman quarterback. Maybe you don't use the whole playbook."
Of Baylor's 17 total runners competing in the meet, Hodge is one of just five returners from last year's Big 12 Championship. Juniors Drew Snyder and Devin Duran are back for the men, while Jordan Ledington and Hayden Golden were the Nos. 5 and 6 runners for the women.
"The goal is always to improve," Ledington said. "And especially with more teams this year, I think either maintaining or improving your placement from last year is kind of a big goal. Individually, I'm just excited for a good race. Practice is fun, but it's the big races are really what makes it worth it."
Even with Hodge, Snyder and Duran, this is an extremely young Baylor men's team with freshmen Nolan Keenan, Straton Miller, Aiden Ramshaw and Kanalu Wong joining sophomore Caleb Ackman.
"Ryan Hodge is our leader. He's had a great season, a great career. So, this will be his last conference meet," Barnett said. "I'm super excited for Ryan. He's been looking really good. And then behind him, we just have a group of guys that it will be their first time going for a lot of them. For new people, first time doing the 8K, they've been competing really well. They've been very consistent, and consistency is the biggest thing at this level."
Freshman Rosanna Pugh has been a pleasant surprise, improving her 6K time by just under two minutes in leading the women's team at the Arturo Barrios Invite at Texas A&M with a time of 21:48.8.
"She's been racing in Australia, and she raced over the summer while other people were training," Barnett said. "I don't really know what to expect, to be honest. I wouldn't say it's been a surprise, but it's been a blessing to see her put herself out there and just compete."
Scoring runners in each of Baylor's three full-squad meets, Pugh, Gold and Ledington will be joined by grad student Chloe Gangnath, seniors Jackie Addy and Lily Williams, juniors Abby Morris and Alaina Zamorano and freshman Kat Helmer from Waco.
"I think Hayden's totally capable of being our top person, and she's put in the work," Barnett said. "She has the right attitude. She's definitely connected with the people in the past who have had success. She connected with Ellie (Hodge), who was all-region last year . . . Lily (Williams), who medaled last year (in the 4x400 relay); and with Anna (Kostarellis), who was really great in the spring. So, she's surrounding herself with the right people. I have a lot of confidence in Hayden."
Both races will be streamed by Big 12 Now on ESPN+, with Noah Reed and John Nownes providing commentary, while live results can be found at Prime Time Timing.
Following an off week, Baylor will continue its postseason with the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 10 at Agri Park in Fayetteville, Ark.
AMES, Iowa – Baylor cross country is back on the road for meet No. 5 of the season and meet No. 1 of the postseason, the Big 12 Cross Country Championships. The Bears will toe the line to begin the men's 8,000-meter race at 10 a.m., followed by the women in the 6,000 meters at 11.
With the regular season highlighted by a women's team win at the season-opening UIW Twilight and a men's top-10 finish at the Gans Creek Classic, BU turns its attention to the conference championship that features an expanded field that includes BYU, Cincinnati, Houston and the UCF women's squad.
The men's race, with an entry list of 117 runners, will feature three top-10 teams from the USATFCCCA coaches' poll, as Oklahoma State sits second, BYU is third and Texas is sixth. The hosting Cyclones are also ranked at 17th.
In the women's race, only two squads fall in the top 10, with BYU at four and Oklahoma State at 6. Matching with the men's squad, Iowa State again ranks at No. 17. The women's race is scheduled to feature 137 student-athletes.
Baylor enters eight men and nine women for Saturday morning's championship.
Ryan Hodge, a sixth-year senior from Illinois, looks to lead the Baylor men for the fourth time this season and will be joined by Caleb Ackman, Devin Duran, Nolan Keenan, Straton Miller, Aiden Ramshaw, Drew Snyder and Kanalu Wong.
Both Bears to lead the Baylor team in a women's race this season will lace up on Saturday with Hayden Gold and Rosanna Pugh. Also in green and gold will be Jackie Addy, Chloe Gangnath, Kat Helmer, Jordan Ledington, Abby Morris, Lily Williams and Alaina Zamorano.
Fans can follow live results provided online by PrimeTime Timing. Big 12 Now on ESPN+ will carry the broadcast of the event, with commentary provided by Noah Reed and John Nownes.
For the Baylor Family in The Hawkeye State, admission to the Iowa State Cross Country Course is free. Spectator parking can be found in Lots 61A and 61B and at the Hansen Agriculture Student Learning Center.
- BaylorBears.com -
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