Florida State University Athletics
Friday, September 25
Columbia, MO
Florida State
at
Gans Creek Classic
Cross Country Set for First Road Test
9/24/2026 12:00:00 PM | Cross Country, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
TALLAHASSEE –The Florida State cross country teams will hit the road for the eighth annual Gans Creek Classic on Friday in Columbia, Missouri.
The Seminoles will compete in two separate races, with the women's gold 6k beginning at 9:00 a.m. local time, followed by the men's gold 8k at 9:45 a.m. The races will be streamed live on SEC Network+, which can be accessed with an ESPN+ subscription. Live results will be posted at PrimeTime Timing.
Last season, Florida State competed on the Gans Creek Course for the pre-national meet where the women's team finished fifth overall with 255 points, marking the highest pre-national finish under head coach Cody Halsey.
The Gans Creek Classic features one of the strongest fields in the nation, with elite programs from across the country converging in Columbia. The women's competition includes nine national ranked squads, while the men will have an excellent opportunity to stack wins against 13 other national top-30 squads.
Florida State opened the season at the pre-regional meet on September 18 at the Apalachee Regional Park as both programs took home team victories. Rylee Blade, who was named ACC Women's Runner of the Week on Tuesday, was victorious for the second time in her career in the women's 6k, while Hudson Betts notched his first individual career win during the men's 8k.
Bieke Schipperen has been a force alongside Blade, entering familiar fairgrounds after competing on the Gans course last season finishing with a new personal best of 19:56.1. Madie King will get her first experience on the road as a collegiate athlete after taking the fifth overall spot in her season debut on Friday at home with a time of 21:22.6.
On the men's side, Kaden Levings returns to the lineup, after finishing second behind Betts with a time of 24:31.7. Levings competed at Gans Creek last year placing within the top 100 in 84th with a time of 24:30.6.
Keep up with Florida State cross country on X and Instagram @FSU_Track
The Seminoles will compete in two separate races, with the women's gold 6k beginning at 9:00 a.m. local time, followed by the men's gold 8k at 9:45 a.m. The races will be streamed live on SEC Network+, which can be accessed with an ESPN+ subscription. Live results will be posted at PrimeTime Timing.
Last season, Florida State competed on the Gans Creek Course for the pre-national meet where the women's team finished fifth overall with 255 points, marking the highest pre-national finish under head coach Cody Halsey.
The Gans Creek Classic features one of the strongest fields in the nation, with elite programs from across the country converging in Columbia. The women's competition includes nine national ranked squads, while the men will have an excellent opportunity to stack wins against 13 other national top-30 squads.
Florida State opened the season at the pre-regional meet on September 18 at the Apalachee Regional Park as both programs took home team victories. Rylee Blade, who was named ACC Women's Runner of the Week on Tuesday, was victorious for the second time in her career in the women's 6k, while Hudson Betts notched his first individual career win during the men's 8k.
Bieke Schipperen has been a force alongside Blade, entering familiar fairgrounds after competing on the Gans course last season finishing with a new personal best of 19:56.1. Madie King will get her first experience on the road as a collegiate athlete after taking the fifth overall spot in her season debut on Friday at home with a time of 21:22.6.
On the men's side, Kaden Levings returns to the lineup, after finishing second behind Betts with a time of 24:31.7. Levings competed at Gans Creek last year placing within the top 100 in 84th with a time of 24:30.6.
Keep up with Florida State cross country on X and Instagram @FSU_Track
Players Mentioned
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross Country
Distance
/ Men's Cross Country
Distance
/ Women's Cross CountryWednesday, September 23
Wednesday, September 23
Wednesday, September 23
Tuesday, September 22