Summit League Selects Four Roos on Preseason Athletes to Watch List
8/27/2025 10:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Kansas City men finish seventh, women eighth in annual conference preseason poll
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Kansas City Cross Country heads into the 2025 season with plenty of motivation as the Roos were picked to finish seventh in the Summit League Preseason Poll for the men and eighth for the women. The men's side garnered six points while the women earned seven points in the annual before-season ranking voted on by the Summit League's head coaches.Â
On the men's side, Evan Kiefer and Eli Block were selected to the conference's Athletes to Watch list leading into the 2025 season. As a sophomore, Kiefer ran a career-best 6K time of 20:30.1 at the Bob Timmons Classic and a season-best 8K time of 26:41.0 at the Gans Creek Classic. Block posted career-best times of 20:34.4 in the Bob Timmons Classic 6K race and 27:15.6 in the Summit League XC Championships 8K run.Â
On the women's end, Mariah Belmont and Harper Barlow were chosen as Athletes to Watch for the second straight season. In her freshman year, Belmont took on the 5000-meter dash at the Summit League Indoor Championships with a time of 17:50.07 and posted a season-best 3000-meter steeplechase time of 11:03.02 to finish fourth at the Arkansas Twilight. Barlow ran a career-best 6K time of 22:52.9 in the Gans Creek Classic and dashed a 20:37.79 at the Bob Timmons Classic in her first collegiate 5K race.Â
Kansas City begins their 2025 cross country season in Lawrence, Kan. for the Bob Timmons Classic hosted by the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday morning.Â
2025 SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
|
Team |
Score (1st place votes) |
|
|
1. |
South Dakota State |
36 (6) |
|
2. |
North Dakota State |
30 (1) |
|
3. |
North Dakota |
22 |
|
4. |
Oral Roberts |
19 |
|
5. |
South Dakota |
18 |
|
6. |
St. Thomas |
16 |
|
7. |
Kansas City |
6 |
2025 SUMMIT LEAGUE WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL
|
Team |
Score (1st place votes) |
|
|
1. |
South Dakota State |
45 (4) |
|
2. |
North Dakota State |
42 (2) |
|
3. |
North Dakota |
37 (2) |
|
4. |
South Dakota |
34 |
|
5. |
St. Thomas |
27 |
|
6. |
Omaha |
16 |
|
6. |
Oral Roberts |
16 |
|
8. |
Kansas City |
7 |
Male Athletes to Watch
Note: Players to Watch nominated by the league's head coaches
Cody Larson| South Dakota State| Redshirt Senior
Eli Hall | South Dakota State | Sophomore
Jacob Knodle | North Dakota State | Senior
Ian Busche| North Dakota| Junior
Matej Hrebacka| North Dakota | Redshirt Sophomore
Abraham Chelangam | Oral Roberts | Redshirt Junior
Sibonokuhle Twala | Oral Roberts | Junior
Isaac Ochoa | South Dakota | Sophomore
Max Westerlund | St. Thomas | Junior
Adam Lueth | St. Thomas | Junior
Eli Block | Kansas City | Junior
Evan Kiefer | Kansas City | Junior
Female Athletes to Watch
Note: Players to Watch nominated by the league's head coaches
Courtney Stadter| South Dakota State | Sophomore
Meghan Ford | South Dakota State | Redshirt Junior
Raegan Baesler | North Dakota State |Senior
Shewaye Johnson| North Dakota | Senior
Jadyn Keeler| North Dakota | Senior
Abrielle Jirele | South Dakota | Graduate
Elsie Kmecak | St. Thomas | Junior
Olivia Pauly | St. Thomas | Sophomore
Meredith Richter | Omaha | Sophomore
Briley Early | Omaha | Freshman
Zoie Kiddy | Oral Roberts | Graduate
Ossly Murambidzi | Oral Roberts | Sophomore
Mariah Belmont | Kansas City | Sophomore
Harper Barlow| Kansas City | Junior
Â
Players Mentioned
