XC: Jacobs, Hodge Lead Bears at Mizzou Meet

Friday, October 1

Columbia, Mo.

All Day

Baylor

Gans Creek Classic

XC: Jacobs, Hodge Lead Bears at Mizzou Meet

10/1/2021 1:47:00 PM | Cross Country

Men's Results Women's Results

Women’s team placed eighth at Gans Creek Classic, while men’s team finished 11th

WACO, Texas – Lily Jacobs and Ellie Friesen led the women's team to an eighth-place finish, while Ryan Hodge and Drew Snyder paced the men's team to 11^th place Friday morning at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Mo.

"Overall, the team places weren't what I was hoping for," head cross country coach David Barnett said. "I think the top three people on both sides competed really well."

Jacobs set the pace for the Bears in the women's 6K with a time of 21:43.2 to finish in 24^th place, followed closely by Friesen in 26^th with a personal-best time of 21:45.2 at Gans Creek XC Course. Hayden Gold finished in 53^rd place with a personal-best time of 22:35.1, Celia Holmes placed 65^th with a time of 22:50.4, and Jordan Ledington took 73^rd with a career-best time of 22:58.1 to round out the scoring for the Bears.

"On the women's side, I thought the top people did really well," Barnett said. "I was proud of how Ellie and Lily, in particular, fought, and I thought it was a step in the right direction for several people. Obviously, 6,000 is tough for some of the freshmen, but they are getting used to it. It's a difficult course, and that's why we came here. Some people competed the way I wanted, and some people's eyes are open, but I think we'll be better for it moving forward. Definitely looking forward to the Texas A&M race in two weeks."

In the men's 8K, Hodge led the way with a 30^th-place finish in a personal-best time of 24:43.8, while Snyder clocked a career-best time of 24:53.7. Ryan Day made his season debut with a personal-best time of 25:06.2 to finish 52^nd, Philip Roxas placed 113^thwith a career-best time of 26:02.6, and Chris Martinez took 113^th with a time of 26:37.5 to complete the scoring for Baylor.

"On the men's side, Ryan Hodge and Drew Snyder both getting under 25 minutes for the first time on a really tough course was impressive," Barnett said. "For his first race of the season, Ryan Day competed really well. I think the men's team will continue to improve."

The Bears have one more tune-up before the Big 12 Championships as they head to the Arturo Barrios Invitational Oct. 16 in College Station, Texas.

"A&M is a totally different type of course," Barnett said. "It's definitely a faster course. This race, some people were going out conservatively and trying to move up over the second half. But now, going into A&M, we really need to get after it, stick our nose in there and compete. We have to set the tone for the conference meet, and A&M is going to be a big race with 30+ teams. It will be a great opportunity to keep making progress getting ready for the conference championships, because that's what it's ultimately about is the Big 12s."

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