EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. – SIUE Men's and Women's Cross Country are set to officially open the 2026 season on the road Friday, traveling to Southeast Missouri for the Redhawk Invitational.
The meet will consist of a 5k race for both the men and women, with a start time of 6:20 for the men, and a 6:50 start time for the women.
Meet the Teams
The men's cross-country team welcomes three freshmen (
Auggie Gaudio,
AJ Ince, and
Christian Knobloch), while the women's side sees four freshmen of their own (
Julie Bach,
Sophia Ramirez,
Katelyn Thurman, and
Ashley Zeibert).
Additionally, SIUE cross country has one incoming transfer between both teams, with sophomore
Ella Sager joining the women's squad from Southeastern University, where she was a Second-Team All-Sun Conference runner.
Runners to Watch
The OVC released its list of runners to watch ahead of the 2026 cross country season, selecting one men's and one women's runner from each school to represent their respective program. For SIUE, freshman
Christian Knobloch earned the nod on the men's side, while junior
Erica Woodard earned the selection for the women's team.
The Course
The Redhawk Invitational will take place on the Osage Center Fields and is a 5k race for both the men and women. The course has been expanded, with a 2300m and a 1609m loop, along with the Start-to-Finish distance. There are two smaller hills in the woods on the 2300m loop, while the 1609m loop is flat and fast.
