Friday, August 29
Columbia, MO
6:30 AM
University of Oregon
at
Mizzou Opener (m)
Cross Country Season Begins Friday
08/28/25 | Cross Country
Both teams start the season ranked among the top 10 in the nation.
EUGENE, Ore. – The 2025 Oregon cross country season gets underway Friday with a pair of meets, the Mizzou Opener in Columbia, Mo., for the men and the UVU Invitational in Orem, Utah, for the women. The races are scheduled for respective starts of 6:30 a.m. (PT) and 9 a.m.
For the first time since 2018, both teams begin the season ranked inside the top 10 nationally. The UO women checked in at No. 2 in Tuesday's USTFCCCA preseason release, their highest ranking to begin a season since 2017. On the men's side, the Ducks are the No. 9 team in the country.
Oregon is one of four schools, along with BYU, New Mexico and Stanford, to have both teams carrying top-10 rankings into the season.
Collectively, the Ducks return three cross country All-Americans from a season ago with Silan Ayyildiz and Anika Thompson for the women and Aiden Smith for the men. The Women of Oregon are also the reigning Big Ten champions.
Friday's 5K in Missouri will be run on the Gans Creek Course which also host the NCAA Championships (Nov. 22). The UO women will get a look at the course in September at the Gans Creek Class. Oregon is one of four teams in the Mizzou field along with Saint Louis, Wisconsin and host Tigers.
The tentative lineup for the season opener is set to include Sergio Del Barrio, Will Heslam, Jack Meier and Ben Greene. Del Barrio was third in the Big Ten steeplechase—8:42.67 PB—this past May.
The Oregon women are slated to run three miles at Scera Park. The Ducks' scheduled lineup will have Katie Clute, Liliana Hudnut, Landen LeBlond, Allura Markow, Hannah Seubert and Ella Thorsett. Clute, fourth in the Big Ten steeplechase last year, was a cross country all-region performer in 2023.
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
For the first time since 2018, both teams begin the season ranked inside the top 10 nationally. The UO women checked in at No. 2 in Tuesday's USTFCCCA preseason release, their highest ranking to begin a season since 2017. On the men's side, the Ducks are the No. 9 team in the country.
Oregon is one of four schools, along with BYU, New Mexico and Stanford, to have both teams carrying top-10 rankings into the season.
Collectively, the Ducks return three cross country All-Americans from a season ago with Silan Ayyildiz and Anika Thompson for the women and Aiden Smith for the men. The Women of Oregon are also the reigning Big Ten champions.
Friday's 5K in Missouri will be run on the Gans Creek Course which also host the NCAA Championships (Nov. 22). The UO women will get a look at the course in September at the Gans Creek Class. Oregon is one of four teams in the Mizzou field along with Saint Louis, Wisconsin and host Tigers.
The tentative lineup for the season opener is set to include Sergio Del Barrio, Will Heslam, Jack Meier and Ben Greene. Del Barrio was third in the Big Ten steeplechase—8:42.67 PB—this past May.
The Oregon women are slated to run three miles at Scera Park. The Ducks' scheduled lineup will have Katie Clute, Liliana Hudnut, Landen LeBlond, Allura Markow, Hannah Seubert and Ella Thorsett. Clute, fourth in the Big Ten steeplechase last year, was a cross country all-region performer in 2023.
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Players Mentioned
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/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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