ST. JOSEPH, Mo. – The Griffon men's and women's cross country teams return to action Sunday, Oct. 11, traveling to Lawrence, Kan., to compete at the Pre-Nationals meet at Rim Rock Farm.
The men's 8K race is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by the women's 6K race at 10:15 a.m.
Sunday's meet gives MoWest an opportunity to compete on the course that will host the 2026 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships while facing regional and national competition.
The Griffons enter the weekend following a strong showing at the Chile Pepper Festival in Fayetteville, Ark., on Oct. 3, highlighted by an individual victory from Pau Valderrama and a third-place team finish from the Griffon women.
Last Time Out
MoWest competed at the Chile Pepper Festival on Saturday, Oct. 3, with both teams turning in strong performances.
On the men's side, Valderrama captured the individual title in the McDonnell Memorial 8K, crossing the finish line in 24:02.8. He edged UTEP's Nathan Kapel by just one-tenth of a second to secure the victory.
The win marked Valderrama's third individual race victory as a Griffon after previously winning the 2025 Missouri Southern Stampede.
Hemistone Cheruiyot followed with a 23rd-place finish in 24:53.7, while Bailey Taig placed 55th in 25:39.6. Landon Fuller finished 69th in 25:51.9, and Jack Collins rounded out the team's scoring five in 77th with a time of 25:58.7.
The Griffon men finished sixth overall in the team standings.
On the women's side, MoWest recorded a third-place finish among 27 scoring teams, totaling 154 points. Arkansas Tech won the team title with 38 points, followed by Saint Mary (Neb.) in second.
Pre-Nationals Preview
Sunday's competition will provide the Griffons with another opportunity to measure themselves against regional and national competition as the postseason approaches.
The meet also gives both teams valuable experience on Rim Rock Farm's challenging course, which will serve as the site of the NCAA Division II National Championships later this season.
Coming off last weekend's competition in Fayetteville, MoWest will face another demanding test with a quick turnaround between races.
"It's an exciting opportunity to preview the national course while getting eyes on regional and national competition," said Griffon Cross Country Head Coach Sean Gosewisch. "It will be difficult as we are just coming off a race and it's a notoriously tough course, but we can do difficult things. It will be a good test."
Griffon Men's Traveling Roster
Griffon Women's Traveling Roster
Meet Information
Meet: Pre-Nationals
Date: Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026
Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Course: Rim Rock Farm
Men's Race: 8K at 9:30 a.m.
Women's Race: 6K at 10:15 a.m.
Up Next
Following Pre-Nationals, the Griffon men's and women's cross country teams return home to host the Griffon Open on Saturday, Oct. 24, at the Griffon Cross Country Course in St. Joseph, Mo.
The women's 5K race is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 8K race at 10:45 a.m.
