AMES, Iowa — The University of Minnesota cross country teams race Friday at the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional, hosted by Iowa State on its home course for the first time since 2017.
The women run 6 kilometers at 11 a.m. Central, and the men follow at noon. The men move up to 10 kilometers for the regional after racing 8K at their conference meets.
Minnesota is entering seven men and seven women. The Gopher men are ranked No. 22 nationally and are chasing their first trip to the national meet since 2021. Senior Aidan Jones leads them in his third regional after placing 30th last year and 29th the year before.
Five of the Gopher women ran on the 2024 team that placed 18th at nationals. Ali Weimer, who was second at the 2024 regional, is back in the lineup.
The men’s field also includes No. 3 Oklahoma State, No. 26 Missouri and No. 30 Tulsa, along with host Iowa State.
Each regional sends its top two men’s and women’s teams straight to the national championships on Nov. 21 in Terre Haute, Indiana. Fourteen more teams get at-large spots to fill a 32-team field, and the four best individuals at each regional who are not on a qualifying team also advance.
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