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<b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;color:#0F4761">BAYLOR ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS – Oct. 31, 2024<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:char"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Baylor XC Begins Postseason at Home Hosting Big 12 Championships<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:char"><b><i><span style="font-size:10.5pt;color:black;background:white;mso-ligatures:none">First time hosting Big 12 Championships since 2019<o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="layout-grid-mode:char"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">For more information contact:
</span></b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">Josie Hutton; 254-709-7720,
</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:Courier;mso-ligatures:none"><a href="mailto:josie_hutton@baylor.edu"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:blue">josie_hutton@baylor.edu</span></a></span><u><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:blue;mso-ligatures:none"><o:p></o:p></span></u></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">WACO, Texas –</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none"> Baylor cross country welcomes schools across the conference to the Cottonwood Creek Golf Course
for the Big 12 Cross Country Championship on Friday morning, Nov. 1. The women will compete in the 6k starting at 10 a.m., followed by the men running the 8k circuit at 11 a.m.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">This will be the first time since 2019 and the fourth time in program history Baylor has played host to the Big 12 XC Championship.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">With the Big 12 Conference's new additions this year, there will be 14 teams in the mix for the 2024 title. So far this season, the Bears have competed against
Arizona State (women), Colorado (women), Houston, Kansas (men), Kansas State, TCU and Texas Tech during the regular season.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Baylor is coming off a successful final regular season meet at the Arturo Barrios Invite in College Station, Texas where freshman Ruth Kimeli continued to
make her mark. Kimeli earned her third consecutive top-15 finish at the Arturo Barrios Invite, finishing in 11th place with a personal-best time in the 6k at 19:37.8. The team left College Station with 13 new PB times in the 6k and 8k.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">If Kimeli continues her streak of finishing in the top-15, she will earn a spot on the All-Big 12 team and become the first women for Baylor to do so since
2017.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">THE LINEUP<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Women’s 6k:
</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Jackie Addy, Clara Diepenbrock, Anna Garner, Kat Helmer, Ruth Kimeli, Jordan Ledington, Ella Perry, Rosanna Pugh, Catherine Urbani, Alaina Zamorano<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Men’s 8k:
</span></b><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Caleb Ackman, Ben Archer, Caden Biltz, Devin Duran, Nick Hruskoci, Nolan Kennan, Aiden Ramshaw, Jack Sterrett<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Both men and women will face off against a stacked field, as the Big 12 boasts the top two men's programs in the latest USTFCCCA Division I Coaches Poll and
three of the top four teams with Oklahoma State at No. 1, BYU at No. 2 and Iowa State at No. 4. Colorado (No. 24) and Texas Tech (No. 30) added two more teams in the men's top-30 rankings for the Conference. In the women's poll, the league is represented by
No. 1 BYU, No. 4 West Virginia, No. 6 Utah and No. 18 Oklahoma State. The Big 12 is the only conference entering conference championship weekend to have multiple teams ranked in the top five in each of the polls.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">During the 2023 Championship, the Bears ran in Ames, Iowa at the Iowa State Cross Country Course with Ryan Hodge leading the Bears finishing in spot 46, while
Hayden Gold piloted BU women in spot 63. Overall, Baylor women finished 14<sup>th</sup> and men in 12<sup>th</sup>.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">There will be a live broadcast of the race on ESPN+ on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. commentated by Pete Sousa and John Nownes.
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;layout-grid-mode:char"><span style="mso-ligatures:none">Admission is free to the event. Spectator parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis in the parking lot of Waco ISD Stadium.
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<i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-ligatures:none">- BaylorBears<u><span style="color:black">.com</span></u><span style="color:black"> -<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#0F5C1A;mso-ligatures:none">Josie Hutton</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> | Associate Director of Athletics Communications (FB, T&F/XC, MTEN) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">Department of Athletics | Baylor University<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none">C: (254) 709-7720<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-ligatures:none"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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