Cavaliers Set to Compete in Gans Creek Classic
COLUMBIA, Mo.— The Virginia No. 6 men’s and No. 18 women’s cross country programs travel to Columbia, Mo. to compete at the Gans Creek Classic at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course hosted by the University of Missouri on Friday, Sept. 26.
How to Follow
The races will be streamed on SEC Network+ and live results are available using the following link. Results can also be followed through the team’s official Twitter account (@UVAtfcc).
Schedule of Events (*Times are central)
8:15 a.m. | Men’s Black Invitational 8k Race
9:00 a.m. | Women’s Gold Invitational 6K Race
9:45 a.m. | Men’s Gold Invitational 8k Race
10:30 a.m. | Women’s Black Invitational 6k Race
11:00 a.m. | Invitational Awards
11:15 a.m. | Men’s Open 8k Race
12:00 p.m. | Women’s Open 6k Race
Rankings
The Virginia men enter the meet ranked No. 6 in the USTFCCCA Week 1 National poll while the women’s team moved up to No. 18. The Cavalier men rank first in the Southeast Region while the women rank second in the regional poll.
Noting the Cavaliers…
- In their season opener, Nick Bendtsen and Stella Kermes won the men’s 6k and women’s 4k races. This marks the third consecutive year in which the Cavaliers have swept the Spider Alumni Open
- Both Bendtsen and Kermes were named ACC Performer of the Week for their performances in Richmond, Va. (9/9)
- Gillian Bushee (16:39.9) and Justin Wachtel (23:52.6) won on their home course at the 2025 Virginia Invitational as Bushee clocked the 19th fastest time for the Panorama Farms 5k course.
- Virginia returns more than half of its roster including 17 men and 12 women from the 2024 season
- Key returns include All-American Gary Martin. Martin won the ACC Cross Country Championship in record time (22:17.6, 8k) and finished 13th at the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships (29:02.3, 10k).
- Martin was named the 2024 ACC Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 2024 ACC Cross Country Performer of the Year.
- The Virginia women return three of the seven athletes who competed at the NCAA Championships and finished within the top-15 leading the team to a 14th place finish overall.
- On the men’s side, Virginia’s top finishers at the NCAA Championships in Will Anthony, Justin Wachtel, Nate Mountain and Martin will be on the course this fall. Five of the seven participants return for the Cavaliers.
- In the USTFCCCA preseason and Week 1 poll, the men checked in at No. 1 in the Southeastern Regional poll and No. 6 in the National poll.
- In the USTFCCCA preseason poll, the women checked in at No. 3 in the Southeastern Regional poll before moving up to No. 2 in the Week 1 poll. In the preseason National poll, the checked in at No.20 before moving up to No. 18 in the Week 1 poll.