Many of the Gators’ most promising athletes will make their season debuts in Columbia.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Florida Gators Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams are set to compete in the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo. on Friday, September 27, 2024. The Men’s 8k race will begin at 8 a.m. local time (9 a.m. ET) and the Women’s 6k race will start at 8:45 am local time (9:45 a.m. ET).
The Gators last competed at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in 2021, competing in the SEC Championship Meet. The Gator men claimed seventh in that race and the women finished sixth.
This is the second of four regular-season meets for the Orange and Blue squads, with the Gators previously finishing second in both the Men’s and Women’s races at the UCF Invite on August 30. A full recap of the Gators’ efforts in Orlando can be found at this link.<https://floridagators.com/news/2024/8/30/gators-start-strong-in-cross-country-season-opener.aspx>
Live results from Friday’s Gans Creek Classic can be found at this link.<https://live.pttiming.com/xc-ptt.html?mid=7431>
Participating Gators
Twelve men and twelve women will participate for Florida in Friday’s race, with some of their top finishers from the UCF Invite making a return to action, as well as many promising athletes making their season debuts.
Among those that competed in the UCF Invite are Emerson Miller and Breanna Stuart, Florida’s top finisher from each race in Orlando.
Eight women and five men will suit up for the Orange and Blue for the first time this season. Allison Wilson, the Gators’ top returning scorer from last season’s National Championship, will make her season debut in Columbia. Hilda Olemomoi, one of the crown jewels of the Gators’ offseason transfer portal haul, will also don the Florida uniform for the first time this season.
For the men, Freshman phenom Riley Smith, a product of local Buchholz High School in Gainesville, will make his collegiate debut alongside other talented true-freshmen such as Joshua Ruiz and Jonathan Leon.
The complete list of Gator participants is included below.
WOMEN
MEN
Kate
Drummond
R-Fr.
Orlando
Cicilioni III
Sr.
Ashley
Fitzgerald
Fr.
Michael
Fiore II
R-Jr.
Reagan
Gilmore
Fr.*
Ethan
Geiger
R-Sr.*
Ashley
Klingenberg
R-Sr.
Jonathan
Leon
Fr. *
Beth
Morley
R-Jr.*
Emerson
Miller
R-Fr.
Hilda
Olemomoi
Jr.*
Matt
Mule’
R-Jr. *
Gabrielle
Schmidt
Fr.*
Gavin
Nelson
R-Fr.
Breanna
Stuart
R-So.
Riley
Novack
R-Fr.
Caroline
Wells
Jr.*
Joshua
Ruiz
Fr. *
Allison
Wilson
R-Sr.*
Riley
Smith
Fr. *
Tia
Wilson
Jr.*
Matthew
Stratton
R-So. *
Liina
Winborn
R-Sr.*
Aidan
Villasuso
Sr.
* – Indicates season debut
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