Rockhurst men's and women's cross country return to competition Friday (Sept. 25) at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri, following a week break from racing.

The meet will take place at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course, with the women competing in a 6K and the men racing an 8K. The Women's Black Invitational is scheduled for 9:45 a.m., followed by the Men's Black Invitational at 10:30 a.m. 

Both Rockhurst squads enter Friday after strong performances at the Queen City After Dark Run in Springfield, Missouri.

The Rockhurst women finished second at Queen City with 72 points and a combined team time of 1:32:43.3. The performance continued a strong opening stretch for the Hawks, who also placed third at the Rim Rock Farm Classic earlier this season.

Sophomore Carrington Hessen has led the way for Rockhurst through the opening two meets. Hessen finished second overall at Queen City in 17:37.0, breaking her own school record that she had established one week earlier at Rim Rock. Her early-season performance also earned her GLVC/Athletic Solutions Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors.

Freshman Natalie Hawthorne has provided another strong presence near the front of the pack, finishing 10th at Queen City in 18:06.0. Freshman Brooke Stephenson added an 18th-place finish in 18:47.0, while freshmen Andie Garrett and junior Laney Parmeley rounded out the Hawks' scoring five in 26th and 27th place.

Rockhurst placed six runners inside the top 30 at Queen City and will now make the jump from its early-season races to Friday's 6K competition.

On the men's side, the Hawks are coming off their second consecutive fifth-place team finish. Rockhurst scored 125 points at Queen City with a combined team time of 1:36:18.3 after also placing fifth at the Rim Rock Farm Classic.

Freshman Elijah Smith has emerged at the front of the Rockhurst lineup, leading the Hawks with a 14th-place finish and a time of 18:57.0 at Queen City. Fellow freshman Evan Sansom crossed in 19:11.0 to finish 22nd, while sophomore Carter Tomac followed closely behind in 25th at 19:13.0.

Senior Andrew Hartegan finished 29th in 19:23.0, and junior Aidan McGarry completed Rockhurst's scoring five with a 45th-place finish in 19:37.0. The Hawks displayed their depth with all 10 Rockhurst runners finishing among the top 70.

Friday will also mark the men's first 8K competition of the season, providing the Hawks with an opportunity to test themselves over the longer distance as the season moves toward October.

Both races will also be streamed live on SEC Network+ with live results being found here.