University of Minnesota Athletics
Friday, September 4
Ames, IA
University of Minnesota
at
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Gophers Headed to Ames, River Falls, to Open 2026 Cross Country Season
9/2/2026 2:27:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
MINNEAPOLIS -- The University of Minnesota's men's and women's cross country teams are headed to Ames, Iowa, for a meeting at the Cyclone Preview. The meet is scheduled for Friday, September 4, with the first race beginning at 8 a.m. CT at the Iowa State Cross Country Course.
The two-race event begins with the women's 5K at 8 a.m. followed by the men's 6K at 8:30 a.m. The race will not be live streamed. Fans can follow live results at PTtiming.com.
A QUICK 2025 RECAP
Last season both the men and women's team finished seventh at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships with two women then earning NCAA All-Region honors at the NCAA Midwest Regional. With All-American 10000m runner Ali Weimer completing a redshirt season the women's team finished sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional with Isabelle Schmitz leading the way in each of the last two races of last season. The men were paced by Aidan Jones, who was the top finisher for the Maroon and Gold in five of his six competitions a season ago. Jones was 26th overall at Big Tens while coming across the line 30th at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Outside of the NCAA season, a quartet of Golden Gophers reached the U20 World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. Three of those competitors represented Team USA while incoming freshman Oliver Crowe ran for Team Canada. Salvador Wirth was the lone Gopher to return with a team medal, capturing bronze as the fifth finisher for the red, white and blue. The medal was the first time in history the U.S. U20 men's captured hardware at home with the then-true freshman Wirth finishing 30th overall in a time of 25:39.0. Crowe finished 54th overall for Canada while Minnesota's two representatives on the U20 women's side were Norah Hushagen (53rd, 22:33.0) and Avery Marasco-Johnson (58th, 23:01.0).
Cyclone Preview Schedule (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
WEIMER, GERRES NAMED BIG TEN RUNNERS TO WATCH
Fifth year Ali Weimer and senior Emmett Gerres have been named the cross country team's Runners to Watch by the Big Ten, the conference office announced on August 19.
Weimer returns as one of the best distance runners in program history. The 2024 Big Ten Cross Country Championships bronze medalist returns to the cross country course after redshirt season in 2025. Weimer holds Minnesota's school record at the 6K distance in cross country with her 19:25.0 at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in 2024. Weimer also holds the fifth-fastest NCAA Cross Country Championships performance in school history, which also came in 2024, and her time of 19:48.85 at the NCAA Midwest Regional that same season is the fastest regional time in program history.
Out of Belle Plaine, Minn., Gerres finished inside Minnesota's top five four different times during the 2025 cross country season, including lifetime bests at the NCAA Midwest Regional 10K (31:25.4) and at the Pre-NCAA meet in Columbia, Mo., where he clocked an 8K time of 24:05.9. Gerres' strong end to the cross country season helped propel him into an All-American season on the track during the outdoor season. In the steeplechase Gerres qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time and finished as a Second Team All-American with a 15th-place finish in a time of 8:33.15.
WOMEN BEGIN SEASON RECEIVING VOTES
The University of Minnesota women's cross country team begins the 2026 season earning votes in the USTFCCCA Preseason Poll. Minnesota's women are aiming to return to the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2024. The women of Minnesota have reached the NCAA Championships in six of the last nine seasons and 17 out of the last 21 years.
GOPHERS ALSO TO COMPETE IN WISCONSIN
Minnesota also has competitors at the River Twon Invite, hosted by UW-River Falls in Prescott, Wis., at Prescott High School. The women's 6000m race will be ran at 5 p.m. while the men's 8000m race will be contested at 6 p.m. Live results for the event can be followed at HerosTiming.com.
UP NEXT
In two weeks the Maroon and Gold will host the 40th Roy Griak Invitational on September 18-19 at the Fort Snelling Golf Course. After 39 years in Falcon Heights, the event shifts to Fort Snelling where the men will run an 8K course with the women running a 6K course on Friday with high school 5K competition slated for Saturday. For more information on the Minnesota cross country this season, visit GopherSports.com and follow the team on Twitter (X), Instagram, Threads and Facebook.
The two-race event begins with the women's 5K at 8 a.m. followed by the men's 6K at 8:30 a.m. The race will not be live streamed. Fans can follow live results at PTtiming.com.
A QUICK 2025 RECAP
Last season both the men and women's team finished seventh at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships with two women then earning NCAA All-Region honors at the NCAA Midwest Regional. With All-American 10000m runner Ali Weimer completing a redshirt season the women's team finished sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional with Isabelle Schmitz leading the way in each of the last two races of last season. The men were paced by Aidan Jones, who was the top finisher for the Maroon and Gold in five of his six competitions a season ago. Jones was 26th overall at Big Tens while coming across the line 30th at the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Outside of the NCAA season, a quartet of Golden Gophers reached the U20 World Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla. Three of those competitors represented Team USA while incoming freshman Oliver Crowe ran for Team Canada. Salvador Wirth was the lone Gopher to return with a team medal, capturing bronze as the fifth finisher for the red, white and blue. The medal was the first time in history the U.S. U20 men's captured hardware at home with the then-true freshman Wirth finishing 30th overall in a time of 25:39.0. Crowe finished 54th overall for Canada while Minnesota's two representatives on the U20 women's side were Norah Hushagen (53rd, 22:33.0) and Avery Marasco-Johnson (58th, 23:01.0).
Cyclone Preview Schedule (ALL TIMES CENTRAL)
- 8:00 AM - Women's 5K
- 8:30 AM - Men's 6K
WEIMER, GERRES NAMED BIG TEN RUNNERS TO WATCH
Fifth year Ali Weimer and senior Emmett Gerres have been named the cross country team's Runners to Watch by the Big Ten, the conference office announced on August 19.
Weimer returns as one of the best distance runners in program history. The 2024 Big Ten Cross Country Championships bronze medalist returns to the cross country course after redshirt season in 2025. Weimer holds Minnesota's school record at the 6K distance in cross country with her 19:25.0 at the Big Ten Cross Country Championships in 2024. Weimer also holds the fifth-fastest NCAA Cross Country Championships performance in school history, which also came in 2024, and her time of 19:48.85 at the NCAA Midwest Regional that same season is the fastest regional time in program history.
Out of Belle Plaine, Minn., Gerres finished inside Minnesota's top five four different times during the 2025 cross country season, including lifetime bests at the NCAA Midwest Regional 10K (31:25.4) and at the Pre-NCAA meet in Columbia, Mo., where he clocked an 8K time of 24:05.9. Gerres' strong end to the cross country season helped propel him into an All-American season on the track during the outdoor season. In the steeplechase Gerres qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships for the first time and finished as a Second Team All-American with a 15th-place finish in a time of 8:33.15.
WOMEN BEGIN SEASON RECEIVING VOTES
The University of Minnesota women's cross country team begins the 2026 season earning votes in the USTFCCCA Preseason Poll. Minnesota's women are aiming to return to the NCAA Cross Country Championships for the first time since 2024. The women of Minnesota have reached the NCAA Championships in six of the last nine seasons and 17 out of the last 21 years.
GOPHERS ALSO TO COMPETE IN WISCONSIN
Minnesota also has competitors at the River Twon Invite, hosted by UW-River Falls in Prescott, Wis., at Prescott High School. The women's 6000m race will be ran at 5 p.m. while the men's 8000m race will be contested at 6 p.m. Live results for the event can be followed at HerosTiming.com.
UP NEXT
In two weeks the Maroon and Gold will host the 40th Roy Griak Invitational on September 18-19 at the Fort Snelling Golf Course. After 39 years in Falcon Heights, the event shifts to Fort Snelling where the men will run an 8K course with the women running a 6K course on Friday with high school 5K competition slated for Saturday. For more information on the Minnesota cross country this season, visit GopherSports.com and follow the team on Twitter (X), Instagram, Threads and Facebook.
Monday, September 29
Sunday, November 17
Sunday, September 01
Tuesday, November 07