COLUMBIA, Mo. – Mizzou cross country opens its 2026 season on Friday morning, Sept. 4, in the Cyclone Opener at the Iowa State Cross Country Course in Ames, Iowa.

The meet serves as a preview of the Iowa State course that hosts this year's NCAA Midwest Regional Championship in November.

The women's 5K goes off first at 8 a.m., followed by the men's 6K at 8:30 a.m. The Tigers race a field that includes host Iowa State, Colby CC, DMACC, Drake, Iowa Central CC, Minnesota and Nebraska.

Eight Tigers are slated to run the women's 5K: Elissa Barnard, Natalie Barnard, Mirriam Chepkirui, Charlotte Cullen, Maleah Eggers, Suzy Lecoutre, Kobi Walker and Monica Wanjiku. On the men's side, Joshua Allison, Joseph Bariola, Tyler Freiner, Ethan Hogan, Raymond Kipkoech, Ethan Lee, Elijah Limo and Carter Spradling line up for the 6K.

Both squads open the year ranked nationally. The women check in at No. 24 in the USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll, while the men round out the top 30.

In the SEC preseason coaches' poll, the women were picked to finish fifth and the men seventh. The fifth-place projection continues a steady climb for the women — their best preseason ranking since 2021, after being picked seventh in 2025 and 11th in 2024.

Eighteen student-athletes return from the 2025 roster, headlined by Monica Wanjiku, an All-American and All-SEC First Team honoree. Six of the seven women from Mizzou's 2025 NCAA Championships lineup are back, including senior Rahel Broemmel and sophomore Mirriam Chepkirui. Junior Evyn Humphrey joins the women's roster as a newcomer.

On the men's side, senior Joshua Allison, sophomore Elijah Limo and junior Joseph Bariola headline the returners.

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