photo by: Missy Minear/Kansas Athletics

The Kansas women’s cross country team during the Bob Timmons Cross Country Classic at Rim Rock Farms in Lawrence on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

The Kansas cross-country teams are coming off a season in which they finished middle of the conference on both teams but retained most of their top runners.

In 2024, the Jayhawks’ men’s team finished seventh in the Big 12 conference and 12th of 29 teams in the NCAA Midwest regional, while the women’s team finished eighth in the conference and 13th of 33 teams in the regional. KU cross-country coach Stanley Redwine believes that, between their improved returners and incoming runners, the Jayhawks will perform better than before.

“We need quality depth, and I think we’ve tried to get some of that on both men’s and women’s (teams),” Redwine said, “so we’re looking forward to having a better season than we did last year.”

The men’s team had a number of freshmen serve important roles; three of the top seven runners in the Big 12 championship and NCAA Midwest Regional in 2024 were freshmen.

In total, six of the top seven runners on the men’s team are back, with only Cale Littrell having graduated among those who reached the regional meet.

Senior Tanner Talley placed 46th and led the team with a run of 23 minutes, 55 seconds in the Big 12 championship and 27th in the regional at 30:08.54.

“Talley’s a great leader,” Redwine said. “He’s always been a team player and wants to do and has done everything he could to get the guys together and compete as a team.”

Beyond Talley, Redwine said the Jayhawks need quality depth, and that with the various returners on the men’s team, the depth could help the Jayhawks improve upon last year.

Senior Quenton Walion was the team’s second-best runner in the Big 12 championship race by placing 50th in 23:59.8. Junior Sawyer Schmidt took third on the team in both meets, taking 53rd in the conference championship and 76th in the regional.

The three other returning runners making up the top seven were freshmen last year. Lenny Njoroge placed 62nd in the conference championship and 79th in the regional, Ryo Higuchi finished 68th in the conference race and 95th in the regional and Blake Wohler — a 2024 Free State graduate — came 70th in the conference race and 98th in the regional race.

On the women’s side, four of the team’s top seven runners from 2024 return, and the Jayhawks will have a strong senior class of seven.

Junior Emmaculate Jemutai is the team’s top returning runner, placing third on the team and 57th overall in the Big 12 championship and 61st overall in the regional, which was second on the team.

Jemutai carried her cross-country season into a strong indoor and outdoor track and field year, and Redwine said she’s taken steps over the summer to be a leader for the team. Between her and Tori Wingrove, who finished fourth on the team in both the conference championship and regional championship, Redwine is confident in the women’s team’s leadership.

The Jayhawks had six freshmen last year, and Kaitlyn Swartz had the most immediate success, finishing 83rd in the conference championship and 118th in the regional championship. Along with some promising incoming freshmen, Redwine believes there are several underclassmen who can take on larger roles this season.

“You want to get people that are going to make an immediate impact on the team, and we think these people can, and hopefully they will,” Redwine said.

The Big 12 Conference fields some of the top competition in the country. BYU won both the men’s and women’s conference and national championships. Four of the Cougars’ top seven runners on the men’s team graduated, while only two on the women’s team were seniors.

“The caliber of athletes that’s in this conference is unbelievable,” Redwine said. “Last year, we had three teams in the top 10 at the NCAA (championships). All are great teams, and they’re not going to be easy to beat. I think in order to compete against someone like that, you have got to have experienced people, and I think we have good leadership.”

West Virginia’s women’s team finished as the national runner-up, while Iowa State’s men’s team placed second behind BYU. Oklahoma State (eighth nationally for men’s teams and 27th among women’s teams), Colorado (19th nationally for men’s teams) and Utah (19th nationally among women’s teams) were all among the top teams to compete in the national championships.

Redwine said it’s important for KU’s leaders to make sure everyone is strong and confident going into those meets knowing the caliber of competition they’ll face.

“We have to be able to compete against them physically and then mentally,” Redwine said. “The physical part comes first, and then I believe the mental part will help that by having confidence that they can do it. But you have to be in that shape first.”

The Jayhawks will report to campus on Aug. 13 and slowly begin running as everyone gets acclimated to the humidity and heat of the region. KU starts with the Bob Timmons Classic in Lawrence on Aug. 30 before back-to-back meets in Columbia, Missouri, on Sept. 27 and on Oct. 18.

KU will have home-course advantage in the conference championship, with the meet being held at Rim Rock Farm on Oct. 31. Redwine said it’s an opportunity for the athletes that everyone is excited about.

“Rim Rock Farm is one of the premier courses in the nation, and we’re excited about that,” Redwine said. “To be able to host is just exciting for our athletes to compete at home, for them to have their families come and see them compete at an event of that caliber at home, for our community to come and see us — I think it’s all great.”

Success in the Big 12 championships would bring Jayhawks to the NCAA Midwest regional on Nov. 14 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. before the national championships on Nov. 22 in Columbia, Missouri.

“Talking to Coach (Michael) Whittlesey, both men and women are hopefully training and doing the things they’re supposed to be doing over the summer,” Redwine said. “(We’re) looking forward to them coming back and us seeing where we are and seeing what we have to do.”

photo by: Missy Minear/Kansas Athletics

Tanner Talley during the Bob Timmons Cross Country Classic at Rim Rock Farms in Lawrence on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.

photo by: Missy Minear/Kansas Athletics

Quenton Walion during the Bob Timmons Cross Country Classic at Rim Rock Farms in Lawrence on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024.