The Lindenwood cross country teams travel to St. Louis, Mo. for the WashU Open on Thursday.

Meet Information – WashU Open
Where: Francis Olympic Field Track
Date: Thursday, November 5
Time: 7:25 p.m. (men's 5K). 7:45 (women's 5K)

LAST TIME OUT
The Lindenwood cross country squads competed in the OVC Championships on Friday in Cape Girardeau, Mo. Both teams finished in eighth place overall.

Isaac Ndiwa continued his strong junior campaign with a ninth-place finish, completing the 8k course in a time of 24:45.03 finishing ninth and earning second team All-OVC honors. Eliezer Mateo Santiago and Jack Hutson came in 45th and 46th, respectively. Mitchell Barth and Anthony Lillis finished 61st and 62nd. Caedmon Oxford rounded out the lineup in 72nd.

On the women's side, Kadence Berry was the top finisher, coming in 41st with a time of 23:14.57. She was followed by Valencia Burgos who crossed the line in 23:42.49, finishing 50th. Two other Lions finished inside the top 60, including Olivia Pearce and Kensington Curd. The other Lindenwood runners were Cadynce Shipman, Makenna Smith and Anna Drochelman.

RUNNERS TO WATCH
The Ohio Valley Conference announced its Cross Country Runners to Watch ahead of the 2026 season. Lindenwood student-athletes Isaac Ndiwa and Makenna Smith earned recognition.

Ndiwa had an outstanding 2025 campaign, posting three top 10 finishes, including taking the top spot during the 8k with a time of 25:07.10. As a result, he was named the OVC Runner of the Week.

During the 2025 season, Smith competed in six meets with her best finish being 21st at the Walt Crawford Open with a time of 23:25.2.