Cross Country Teams Start Season Friday

Friday, September 4

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

6:15 p.m.

Southeast Missouri State University

Redhawks Invite

2026 Semo Redhawks Cross Country

Photo by: SEMO Creative Media

9/3/2026 2:33:00 PM | Cross Country

Redhawk Cross Country Teams Host Meet Friday

The Southeast Missouri men's and women's cross-country teams start their season hosting the Redhawk Invite on Friday. The meet will take place at the Osage Centre fields, with the men's race beginning at 6:55pm, followed by the women's race at 7:20pm.

Meet the squads
Men's Team

The Men's team returns 7 runners from last season, while welcoming two new faces to the squad. The returners include senior Cade McCadams, juniors Tyler Anderson, Evan Fuller, Trey Mygatt, Sam Rhinehart, and Myles Thornburg. There is one sophomore, Zach Thoman.

The Newcomers include Conner Soendker, a freshman from Kexington, Missouri, and Drew Upperman, a freshman from Webster Groves, Missouri.

Thornburg competed in the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional where he ran a personal best 25:39.234:41.3

Women's Team

The women's team returns nine athletes from last year's squad while bringing in two new runners to the team. Returning seniors are Nova Ojutkangas, Julia Martinez Dura, Ceyda Bayur, and Brooklyn Bender. Juniors include Lauren Eftink and Mattea Pearsall, along with sophomores Daphne Bishop, Kale Clements, and Claire Horstmann.

The two freshmen include Aleah Box, a freshman from Anna, Illinois, and Jocelyn Haynes, a freshman from Troy, Missouri.

Returning Production

The women's team returns the OVC Women's Athlete of the Championship Nova Ojutkangas, who won all three meets she competed in, including taking the title at the OVC Championships. She ran her season best time of 20:57.1 at the OVC Championships. She finished her season at the Midwest Regional Championships in 63^rd place at a time of 21:52.5.

Nova Ojutkangas, Lauren Eftink, and Daphne Bishop all return after competing in the Midwest regional meet.

The men's team returns Myles Thornburg after competing in the Midwest regional meet, who finished in 171^st with a time of 34:41.3.

Runners to Watch

Miles Thornburg and Lauren Eftink were named to the OVC Runners to watch list released by the conference Wednesday, August 26^th. Each school in the OVC had coaches pick two athletes for the list. Thornburg raced in all seven meets last season and has a personal best of 24:59.1 in the 6k race. Eftink also raced in all seven meets as a last season and set a personal best of 22:07.6

"Lauren is the 7^th best placing athlete returning from last year's OVC Championships, I fully expect her to be in a position to be 1^st Team All-Conference and help lead a team that can scare for a Championship. Myles is also the 7^th best placing returner on the men's side, but he has the significant job of filling the shoes of graduated athletes who were a combined 11 times All-Conference in XC and Track." said coach Lane.

The Redhawk Invitational

The Course
The race will be a 4k for the men's team and a 3k for the women's. Both races will be taking place on the Osage Centre fields. It has a 2300m and 1609m loop, along with Start-Finish distances. There are two smaller hills in the woods on the 2300m loop, the 1609m loop is flat and fast.

The Competition
The Redhawk Invitational will field 8 teams competing. OVC schools competing in the meet include Lindenwood and SIUE.

The Schedule

The Redhawks will race in four meets during the regular season. After the Redhawk Invitational they will host again for the OVC Conference Preview on Friday, September 18^th. After that they will run in the Nike XC Town Twilight hosted by Indiana State on October 2^nd . They will then race at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois on October 16^th . Wrapping up the regular season on October 31^st with the OVC Championships back in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, hosted by Southeast Missouri State.