The Lindenwood cross country team will head back to Columbia, Mo. for the Gans Creek Classic, hosted by the University of Missouri on Friday.

Meet Information – Gans Creek Classic
Where: Gans Creek Cross Country Course
Date: Friday, September 25, 2026
Time: 8:00 a.m. (women's gold invitational 6K), 8:45 a.m. (men's gold invitational 8K), 9:45 (women's black open 6K), 10:30 a.m. (men's black open 8K)
Watch: SEC Network+
Live Timing: PTTiming

PREVIOUSLY AT GANS CREEK
The 2025 Gans Creek Classic saw The Lions place 17^th in the men's 8k and 14^th in the women's 6k.

LAST TIME OUT
The Lindenwood cross country programs competed in the Larry Young Invitational in Columbia, Mo. Both teams finished in fourth.

One week after taking the top spot in the 4k at the Redhawks Invitational, Isaac Ndiwa crossed the line in first with a time of 26:23.6, finishing four seconds ahead of second place. Eliezer Mateo Santiago came in 19th at 28:01.8, followed by Anthony Lillis in 25th and Jack Hutson in 27th. Mitchell Barth wasn't far behind in 34th with a time of 28:53.3.  Caedmon Oxford finished in 58th with a time of 30:32.7.

On the women's side, Kensington Curd paced the Lions with a time of 20:15.4 in the 5K, followed by Kadence Berry who came in 24th. She was closely followed by Makenna Smith in 28th and Valencia Burgos making her Lindenwood debut in 29th with a time of 20:50.0. Olivia Pearce came in 31st, while Anna Drochelman crossed the line in 40th at 21:31.1. Calla Espenschied was also making her Lions debut and came in 41st. Cadynce Shipman came in just behind them in 44th and Abby Anderson rounded out the lineup in 64th.

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.

UP NEXT
The Lions will head to Peoria, Ill. for the Bradley Pink Classic on Friday, October 16.