XC Opening Season at UTA Meet
9/4/2025 8:50:00 AM | Cross Country
Three newcomers, include Texas transfer, will run for the women’s team
ARLINGTON, Texas – Baylor cross country will open the 2025 season Friday morning at the Gerald Richey UTA Invitational. Running at the Harold Patterson Sports Complex, the women's 5K begins at 7:30 a.m., followed by the men's 5K at 8 a.m.
Fifth-year head coach David Barnett said starting the season a week later than usual "gave me a chance to have an extra week to put my eyes on them and see how they're doing, how they're looking, before we compete."
"We have a lot of new faces," said Barnett, who is using four newcomers in the opening meet, including three of the five women competitors. "We want to see the people that were freshmen and sophomores make a big jump into their second and third years. I think that's realistic. And then, the newcomers to really put themselves in the top five and compete well. I think everyone we have in place is capable of having their best season yet."
Sophomore Ruth Kimeli, coming off a year that saw her make the NCAA Cross Country Championships and record four top-15 finishes, will sit this one out and take a couple extra weeks to "get back in the swing of it." She also qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10,000 meters in an extended season that went into June.
"There's no reason that she can't be All-Big 12, all-region and then All-American," Barnett said of Kimeli. "And then also, it gives other people an opportunity to be in the lineup and see how they perform in that role."
Running for the women, who finished 11th in the NCAA South Central Regional last year, will be returning sophomores Ella Perry and Sally Corder, junior transfer Mackenize Browne from Texas and freshmen Rachel Haws and Evanna Jacobsen.
Freshman Caleb McCarver is the lone newcomer on the men's side, joined by former Midway High School teammate Jack Sterrett, sophomore Caden Biltz and juniors Nolan Keenan, Straton Miller and Aiden Ramshaw.
"Jack, obviously, had a really good freshman year, but he's ready to take that next step up," Barnett said. "We want to go from good to great, which doesn't happen all at once. I think Jack has had the right mindset from the start. He's looking to really mix it up in the Big 12 and the regional and led the way with a bunch of guys that I think could do similar things."
Besides Baylor and host UTA, the eight-team meet includes Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Tarleton, ACU, Dallas Baptist, Ranger Junior College and Hill College. Live results for the meet are available HERE.
For the latest news on the Baylor cross country team all year long, follow its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.
Fifth-year head coach David Barnett said starting the season a week later than usual "gave me a chance to have an extra week to put my eyes on them and see how they're doing, how they're looking, before we compete."
"We have a lot of new faces," said Barnett, who is using four newcomers in the opening meet, including three of the five women competitors. "We want to see the people that were freshmen and sophomores make a big jump into their second and third years. I think that's realistic. And then, the newcomers to really put themselves in the top five and compete well. I think everyone we have in place is capable of having their best season yet."
Sophomore Ruth Kimeli, coming off a year that saw her make the NCAA Cross Country Championships and record four top-15 finishes, will sit this one out and take a couple extra weeks to "get back in the swing of it." She also qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 10,000 meters in an extended season that went into June.
"There's no reason that she can't be All-Big 12, all-region and then All-American," Barnett said of Kimeli. "And then also, it gives other people an opportunity to be in the lineup and see how they perform in that role."
Running for the women, who finished 11th in the NCAA South Central Regional last year, will be returning sophomores Ella Perry and Sally Corder, junior transfer Mackenize Browne from Texas and freshmen Rachel Haws and Evanna Jacobsen.
Freshman Caleb McCarver is the lone newcomer on the men's side, joined by former Midway High School teammate Jack Sterrett, sophomore Caden Biltz and juniors Nolan Keenan, Straton Miller and Aiden Ramshaw.
"Jack, obviously, had a really good freshman year, but he's ready to take that next step up," Barnett said. "We want to go from good to great, which doesn't happen all at once. I think Jack has had the right mindset from the start. He's looking to really mix it up in the Big 12 and the regional and led the way with a bunch of guys that I think could do similar things."
Besides Baylor and host UTA, the eight-team meet includes Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Tarleton, ACU, Dallas Baptist, Ranger Junior College and Hill College. Live results for the meet are available HERE.
For the latest news on the Baylor cross country team all year long, follow its official Facebook, X and Instagram accounts: @BaylorTrack.
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