University of Missouri
Gans Creek Classic
Cross Country Women Take Eighth, Men 12th at Gans Creek Classic
9/26/2025 11:30:00 AM | Cross Country
Both teams beat out multiple top-25 programs at the seventh-annual race.
Mizzou cross country's women's team took eighth while the men captured 12th in the gold races at the seventh-annual Gans Creek Classic on Friday morning at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia.
Monica Wanjiku finished in 11th in her cross country debut in 19:35.1, the fifth-highest finish of any freshman in the race. The Tigers' second-best time was from Suzy LeCoutre, who earned 29th in 20:00.0.
"To finish with the highest-ranking people, it just felt so nice," Wanjiku said. "Our teammates, man, they are so good. We have one goal, just do our best."
The women finished eighth in the 6k with 254 points in a loaded field of 31, topping teams such as nationally-ranked No. 16 Michigan State and No. 24 Lipscomb. No. 12 Florida (102) won the race with No. 8 Northern Arizona (126) and Colorado (166) in second and third, respectively, while the top 10 was rounded out by Washington State and Duke.
The result marked the sixth time the women earned a top-10 placement in the history of the event.
Mizzou's men took 12th place in the 8k after scoring 404, beating out No. 7 Stanford, No. 17 Eastern Kentucky and No. 18 Washington State. Top-ranked Iowa State won the race with 47 points, joined by No. 6 Virginia in second place with 107 points and No. 13 Colorado with 126 points in third.
Elijah Limo tallied a personal best of 23:13.0 in the 8k, securing 36th place to lead the men. He also notched the fifth-highest finish of any freshman in the contest. Drew Rogers followed in 43rd place in 23:18.9, his second-best 8k time of the senior's collegiate career.
Both races rewrote the record books at Gans Creek. The men's gold 8k produced an all-new top-25 list, while the women's gold 6k accounted for the 22 fastest performances in course history.
TOP TIGERS
- Kobi Walker ran her first 6k as a Tiger, clocking in a 20:25.6 to take 59th and stand in the top quarter of the competition.
- Rahel Broemmel recorded a time of 20:31.6 to finish 70th in her second Gans Creek Classic with the Tigers.
- Tyler Freiner beat his previous 8k record by nine seconds to earn 86th place.
- Ryder James posted 23:52.4, placing 106th and standing in the top half of the elite field of competitors.
MEN'S 8k RESULTS - 12th Place (404 points, 36-43-85-105-135)
Elijah Limo, 23:13.0 // Drew Rogers, 23:18.9 // Tyler Freiner, 23:41.3 // Ryder James, 23:52.4 // Austin Popplewell, 24:06.6 // Raymond Kipkoech, 24:23.8 // Joshua Allison, 24:50.7
WOMEN'S 6k RESULTS - 8th Place (254 points, 11-29-59-70-85)
Monica Wanjiku, 19:35.1 // Suzy Lecoutre, 20:00.0 // Kobi Walker, 20:25.6 // Rahel Broemmel, 20:31.6 // Mirriam Chepkirui, 20:44.9 // Natalie Barnard, 20:59.6 // Charlotte Cullen // 21:08.5, Allison Newman, 21:18.0
UP NEXT
Mizzou returns to the Gans Creek Cross Country Course for the Pre-National Invitational on Saturday, October 18, beginning at 10 a.m.
FOLLOW THE TIGERS
For all the latest on Mizzou track & field and cross country, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Instagram and X (MizzouTFXC).
Players Mentioned
