Cross Country Heads to Bradley Pick Classic for Regular Season Finale
PEORIA, Ill. – For the final time in the 2024 regular season, Kentucky Cross Country prepares to toe the line in competition, racing at the Bradley Pink Classic on October 18. The event is set to be held at the Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill., site of the 2024 NCAA Division I Midwest Regional Championships.
The meet will consist of two categories of races—open and invitational (known as White and Red races, respectively). The Men’s 8k White Race kicks off the event at 2:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Women’s 6k White Race at 3:15 p.m. ET. The meet will then shift to the main events, starting with the Men’s 8k Red Race at 4 p.m. ET and the Women’s 6k Red Race at 4:45 p.m. The entire meet is set to be streamed live on ESPN+.
28 Wildcats are set to run across the four races on Friday. Alex Alston, Theo Bachmann, Ed Bird, Miles Brush, Cade Byer, Sami Hattab, Max Liao, Alex Justus, Collins Kiprop Kipngok, Caden Miracle, Jack Pendergast, William Russell, and Jackson Watts will represent the Men’s team. For the women, Jayla Atkinson, Noel Barlette, Brooke Berger, Morgan Dick, Aubree Hay, Elly Heine, Ava Hendren, Clara Heppner, Ally Kruger, Phoebe McCowan, Chesney McPherson, Lyric Olson, Mollie Roden, and Jenna Schwinghamer will be in attendance.
A field of 49 men’s teams and 50 women’s squads are set to run on the day, including No. 14 Michigan (Men only), RV Northwestern (Women only), Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, and UCF.
The Wildcats are coming off a successful run at Missouri’s Gans Creek Classic, highlighted by Ed Bird’s individual title in the Men’s 8k. Bird’s time of 23:07.6 broke the previous course and meet record in Columbia and was the second fastest time by a SEC runner in the month of September. The Dorchester, England native led his team secured their second straight top five finish to open the season. On the women’s side, Ally Kruger carded her second-straight top 20 finish to lead the Kentucky women to a ninth-place final standing.
Following his run at the Gans Creek Classic, Collins Kiprop Kipngok was named SEC Freshman of the Week for the first time in his career. The Nakuru, Kenya native lowered his collegiate debut time by over 12 seconds for a new personal best. His time of 23:33.0 bettered the previous course and meet record and was the top 8k time by any SEC runner in the month of September.
To date, three Wildcats sit in the top 20 of their respective SEC Championship event’s performance list. Kruger has the 19th-fastest time by an SEC athlete in the 6k, thanks to her 20:25.6 run in Columbia. Bird’s winning run from Missouri is good enough for fifth in the conference, while Kiprop Kipngok ranks 12th in the SEC overall, and third amongst freshmen.
Following Friday’s competition in Peoria, the Cats will have an off week to prepare for the SEC Championships on November 1. The meet will be hosted by Texas A&M at the Dale Watts ’71 Cross Country Course in Bryan-College Station, Texas. For the sixth consecutive year, the meet will be televised live on the SEC Network.
