EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Cross Country will go up against some strong competition Friday when the Screaming Eagles toe the starting line at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri.
The Gans Creek Classic features a combined total of 28 nationally-ranked teams, including 17 of the top 30 teams in the latest men’s U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association rankings and 11 of the top 30 teams in the latest women’s USTFCCCA rankings.
That list includes the top-ranked men’s team in the nation in Iowa State University as well as the No. 2-ranked women’s team in the nation in the University of Oregon.
Friday’s meet will be split into three races (gold, black and open), with USI competing in a black division that will feature 10 regionally-ranked opponents.
USI’s top runners will compete at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, which is home to the 2025 NCAA Division I National Championships.
Junior Alex Nolan and sophomore Hadessah Austin have each been named Ohio Valley Conference Runner of the Week twice this season and figure to be the Screaming Eagles’ front runners once again.
Nolan is coming off a 20th-place finish at the Southern Showcase two weeks ago in Huntsville, Alabama. He finished the eight-kilometer course in 24 minutes, 06.30 seconds to lead USI to an 11th-place finish in the 48-team field.
USI’s men have also been getting solid contributions from senior Dominick Beine and junior Isaac Stanford. Beine finished 56th at the Southern Showcase, while Stanford carded an 87th-place finish.
Austin, who will run her first 6k of the 2025 season Friday, is coming off a 26th-place finish at the Southern Showcase. She finished the 5k course in 17 minutes, 18.6 seconds as the Screaming Eagles finished 25th in the 52-team field.
Junior Ellie Hall ran neck-and-neck with Austin for most of the race before finishing 91st despite suffering from a stomach bug throughout the final 1.8 kilometers. The return of two-time All-OVC honoree Zoe Seward, who has worked her way back from an injury, will boost the Screaming Eagles’ lineup.
Friday’s meet begins with the men’s black race at 8:15 a.m., while the women’s black race is slated for a 10:30 a.m. start time. The men’s open competition is scheduled to begin at 11:15 a.m., while the women’s open race follows with a noon start.
