Montana State University
Gans Creek Classic
Bobcats Ready to Run at Gans Creek Classic
9/25/2025 9:57:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Montana State heads to Missouri for preview of 2025 NCAA championship course
COLUMBIA, Mo. – After a three-week break from competition, the Montana State cross country teams are back in action on Friday at the Gans Creek Classic, hosted by the University of Missouri.
The meet, which marks the Bobcats' second of the season, will take place at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., the site of the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships. The meet will feature four invitational races, kicking off with the men's 8k black race at 8:15 a.m. CT/7:15 a.m. MT and continuing with the women's 6k gold race at 9 a.m. CT. The men's 8k gold race will follow at 9:45 a.m., and the women's 6k black race will wrap up competition for the Bobcats at 10:30 a.m.
The Gans Creek Classic will air live on SEC Network+ with live results available on PrimeTime Timing.
Great opportunity to go up against loaded fields for both our men's and women's teams, Dale Kennedy Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Lyle Weese said. The majority of the top 30 teams in the latest poll will be in each race. It will be a completely different race than our first race four weeks ago at the Bobcat Twilight. We are really excited to race on the NCAA championship course and have our squads run up against 250 of the best runners in the NCAA.
The Bobcats join a stacked field in Columbia which features 19 nationally-ranked teams on the men's side and 11 on the women's side, according to the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll. Five top-10 teams – No. 1 Iowa State, No. 4 BYU, No. 6 Virginia, No.7 Stanford, and No. 9 Wake Forest – will be present in the men's field while No. 2 Oregon, No. 5 Stanford, No. 6 Alabama, and No. 8 Northern Arizona will compete on the women's side. The invitational field will include a total of 59 teams for each gender.
Twenty-one Montana State runners are expected to take the course for the Gans Creek Classic on Friday, including 11 women and 10 men. Stella Diaz, Samantha Geraets, Annie Kaul, Niamh Motley, Ada Nelson, Hannah Perrin, Iris Rogel, Claire Rutherford, Madi Siana, and Hailey Watkins are all expected to compete in the women's 6k gold race while Kaitlyn Skinner is set to run in the black race.
On the men's side, Eli Boppart, Harvey Cramb, Sam Ells, Ryan Harrington, Quinn Newman, AJ Ringert, Owen Smith, and Blaise Snow are set for competition in the gold race while Niko Mann and Ben Saelens are expected to compete in the black race.
Montana State looks to build off a strong start to its season after sweeping the men's and women's races in the MSU Bobcat Twilight on Aug. 29. Sam Ells led the way for the Bobcats in the men's 5k with a time of 14:54.90 while Owen Smith followed close behind in second in 14:59.40. Harvey Cramb (15:05.00), Blaise Snow (15:08.20), and Ryan Harrington (15:12.80) finished fourth through sixth overall to round out MSU's scorers in the meet. In the women's 5k, Eva Koos took home the individual crown with her time of 18:15.60 followed by Hannah Perrin (18:17.80), Madi Siana (18:25.70), Claire Rutherford (18:26.20), and Hailey Watkins (18:43.20) to round out the top five in Bozeman.
Montana State enters Friday's meet ranked No. 8 in the Mountain Region on the men's side while the women sit at No. 10.
Friday's meet marks the first of two-straight meets for the Bobcats at Gans Creek Cross Country Course. The Cats will return to Columbia for the NCAA Division I Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 18.
Follow the Bobcats
For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State cross country teams, follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram at @MSUBobcatsTFXC. Information on the Montana State athletic program can be found online at msubobcats.com or by following the Bobcats on Twitter at @MSUBobcats, Instagram at @MontanaStateBobcats, and on Facebook at Montana State Bobcats.
Players Mentioned
