The University of Mississippi Athletics

Friday, October 17
Columbia, Mo.
10 AM

Ole Miss

at

Pre-Nationals

Toby Gillen - SECs

Cross Country Returns to Missouri for Pre-National Invitational

10/16/2025 | Cross Country

COLUMBIA, Mo. – Ole Miss men's and women's cross country will close its regular season with a second look at the national championship course at the Pre-National Invitational, hosted by Missouri this Friday morning.
 
A total of 12 ranked teams will be in attendance at Mizzou's Gans Creek Cross Country Course across men's and women's competition, including the No. 24 Rebel men. The meet was originally scheduled for Saturday morning (Oct. 18), but was moved up one day in anticipation of inclement weather coming to Columbia this weekend.
 
The Ole Miss women will be looking for a strong team finish to bolster its resume before the conference and regional meets in the coming weeks. The Rebels currently rank sixth in a stacked women's South Region, and will look to their senior leadership in Beth Arentz and Sophie Baumann to lead the way.
 
Arentz and Baumann were Ole Miss' top finishers last time out at Mizzou's Gans Creek Classic on Sept. 26, with Arentz finishing 30th at a career-best 6K 20:03.0 and Baumann 64th at 20:28.1 in her season debut.
 
Ole Miss will also be looking for another strong race from freshman Leah Penick, who was next best in 109th at 20:56.5. Penick was the top-finisher for the Rebel women in the season opener at the Memphis Twilight on Aug. 30, finishing fifth in the 5K at 17:21.7.
 
Other Rebel women heading to the start line on Friday morning will be freshman Madison Archdale, sophomore Hannah Doyle, freshman Natalie Duggan, sophomore Ella Johnson, junior Adie Luna, freshman Addy Mitchell and junior Brooke Preputnick.
 
The No. 24 Rebel men, meanwhile, will also look for a resume-boosting performance as one of five ranked teams running alongside No. 2 Oklahoma State, No. 19 Missouri, No. 22 Arkansas and No. 30 Loyola-Chicago.
 
Redshirt junior Kidus Misgina was Ole Miss' top-finisher at the Gans Creek Classic last time out, finishing 11th in his first cross country race as a Rebel at a 39-second 8K best of 22:51.8. Misgina, who was a mid-year enrollee for the Rebels back in January, dismantled the Ole Miss 10K record outdoors this past April at 28:20.19.
 
Senior and retuning All-SEC and All-Region runner Toby Gillen is back in the lineup this week after falling close to the finish line at Mizzou last time out. Gillen – who wrapped his All-American track career with the Rebels in June – was Ole Miss' top runner a majority of the 2024 season en route to leading the Rebel men to a national team berth. Back in August, Gillen ran personal best 5K of 13:16.71 in Belgium.
 
The rest of the Rebel men's squad heading to Columbia this Friday are: sophomore Lukas Ehrle, freshman Samuel Ferguson, sophomore Zack Gilbertson, sophomore Aidan Hodge, freshman Owen Kelley, junior Landen McNair, senior Marco Perez, senior Gabe Scales, freshman John Shoemaker and senior Evan Thornton-Sherman.
 
Competition opens at 10 a.m. CT with the women's invitational 6K race and followed by the men's invitational 8K at 10:45 a.m. CT. Fans can watch a live stream on SECN+ and catch the live results on PTTiming.com.
 
Women's 6K Invitational • 10 AM CT
Madison Archdale
Beth Arentz
Sophie Baumann
Hannah Doyle
Natalie Duggan
Ella Johnson
Adie Luna
Addy Mitchell
Leah Penick
Brooke Preputnick
 
Ranked Teams: #1 BYU, #3 Florida, #8 Oklahoma State, #19 Villanova, #21 Missouri, #23 Boston College, #30 Tennessee
 
Receiving Votes: Arkansas, Clemson, Texas
 
Other Teams: Cal Poly, Chattanooga, Colorado State, Florida State, Georgia, Idaho State, Illinois, Indiana State, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Liberty, Loyola-Chicago, Miami (Ohio), Mississippi State, Montana State, Nebraska, Northern Colorado, Ole Miss, Purdue, Quinnipiac, Saint Louis, San Francisco, South Dakota State, Utah State, Wichita State, Wyoming, Youngstown State
 
Men's 8K Invitational • 10:45 AM CT
Lukas Ehrle
Samuel Ferguson
Zack Gilbertson
Toby Gillen
Aidan Hodge
Owen Kelley
Landen McNair
Kidus Misgina
Marco Perez
Gabe Scales
John Shoemaker
Evan Thornton-Sherman
 
Ranked Teams: #2 Oklahoma State, #19 Missouri, #22 Arkansas, #24 Ole Miss, #30 Loyola-Chicago
 
Receiving Votes: Minnesota, Wyoming
 
Other Teams: Cal Poly, Clemson, Colorado State, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Idaho State, Illinois, Indiana State, Iowa, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, Liberty, Miami (Ohio), Montana State, Nebraska, Northern Colorado, Penn State, Purdue, Saint Louis, San Francisco, Santa Clara, South Dakota State, Tennessee, Texas, Wichita State, Youngstown State
 

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Wednesday, October 08