Season Starts Friday in Dayton – Ohio State Buckeyes

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Friday night, the Ohio State men’s and women’s cross country programs will begin the 2022 campaign at the Mike Baumer Cross Country Classic hosted by Wright State at Fairborn Community Park in Fairborn, Ohio.

Both races will be a 5K, with the men starting at 6 p.m. and the women at 6:45. Live results will be available. Meet Information

Leading the Way

• In June, longtime Ohio State Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Karen Dennis announced her retirement.
• Rosalind Joseph, an Ohio State alumna who had also served on Dennis’ staff prior to taking over the program at Southern Illinois, was named director of the Ohio State program in June.
• Sarah Mason Vergote, who has been on the Ohio State staff since 2013-14, was elevated to head cross country coach/assistant track and field coach, in June. She solely oversees all aspects of the cross country, distance and mid-distance student-athletes.

This and That

• In the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) preseason polls released this week, the Buckeye women came were receiving votes in the national poll and are No. 5 in the region. The men are No. 11 in the region.
• Both teams return six of nine runners who raced in the 2021 Big Ten Championships. The women’s returnees are Addie Engel, Akemi Von Scherr, Daniella Santos, Andrea Kuhn, Emma Bucher and Sophia Spencer, while the men welcomed back Zubin Jha, Ivan Slyepkan, Giovanni Copploe, Kevin Agnew, John Cuozzo and Kaleb Martin. On the women’s side, Allie Guagenti, who was an All-Big Ten selection in 2020 but did not compete in cross country last year because of injury, also returns.
• Engel led the Buckeyes throughout the 2021 season, earning First Team All-Big Ten and All-Great Lakes Region accolades after Top 5 finishes in both races. She qualified for the NCAA Championships as an individual.

The Schedule Ahead

• The Buckeyes will head north for the Big Ten Preview in Ann Arbor, Mich., Sept. 9. The Wolverines will host the 2022 Big Ten Championships Oct. 28.
• The other regular season races include the Roy Griak Invitational Sept. 23 in Minneapolis, the Lakefront Invitational in Chicago Sept. 30 and the Arturo Barrios Invitational in College Station, Texas, Oct. 15.
• Terre Haute, Ind., will be the site of the 2022 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships Nov. 11 and the NCAA Championships will be held in Stillwater, Okla., Nov. 18.