Missouri cross country laced up their shoes Friday at the Cyclone Opener in Ames, Iowa, sweeping second-place team finishes on the Iowa State Cross Country Course while placing every Tiger runner inside the top 50.
Men’s Squad
During the men’s 6K, the squad put up major results of its own. The Tigers took second overall out of the eight teams, with a total of 40 points.
Elijah Limo set the standard for the field, capturing a first-place victory to cross the finish line at 18:05.2. Limo’s victory paced the Tigers’
success and anchored a powerful one-two finish at the front of the pack. Seconds behind him was teammate Raymond Kipkoech, who claimed second place with a time of 18:10.6. Tyler Freiner rounded out the top 10 for Missouri, crossing the line at 18:24.4.
Carter Spradling and Joshua Allison finished back-to-back in 16th and 17th place, posting times of 18:46.1 and 18:48.2.
The final two runners for the Tigers were Joseph Bariola in 19th with a time of 18:55.6 and Ethan Lee in 34th. With Lee’s finish, the Tigers managed to place all seven of their entries within the top 40 in a 73-runner field.
Women’s Squad
The Tigers’ women’s squad made immediate noise in their 5K, placing all eight runners near the front of the pack to take second overall out of six teams. With 34 points on the board, the Tigers showed up and showed out.
Kenyan star Monica Wanjiku, coming off a stellar 2025 season, finished second overall with a time of 16:22.5. Just seconds behind her, Kobi Walker and Suzy Lecoutre took third and fourth place, with times of 16:28.9 and 16:36.0.
Mirriam Chepkirui finished ninth for the Tigers with a time of 17:17.5, while Charlotte Cullen rounded out the top 20, crossing the line in 17:51.3.
The final three runners for the Tigers were Maleah Eggers in 23rd at 18:06.5, Natalie Barnard in 35th and Elissa Barnard in 42nd. Out of 72 competitors, every Missouri runner managed to finish within the top 50.
It was a thrilling season opener for the women’s squad, setting a high bar as they look to build on that momentum in the races ahead.
Live results: https://live.pttiming.com/xc-ptt.html?mid=9086&en=1-1
What’s Next
The Tigers will head back on the road Friday, Sept. 18, for the Billiken XC Invite at Quail Creek Golf Club in St. Louis, offering Missouri another away-meet test and a different course layout to conquer.
To read more about Missouri’s Track and Field team, follow@Rock MNation and @SophBleedsLA on twitter/X.
