Friday, September 26
Columbia, MO
Colorado
at
Gans Creek Invitational
Buffaloes Run Strong Against Ranked Field at Gans Creek
September 26, 2025 | Cross Country
Secor, Serem Lead Colorado to Podium Finishes in Missouri
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The Colorado Buffaloes men's and women's cross country programs each placed third in a nationally competitive field Friday morning at the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri.
"The men and the women both ran fantastic team races," Colorado's Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Sean Carlson said. "Both came out here and beat a lot of highly nationally ranked teams."
The women, ranked No. 26 nationally, opened the morning with a third-place finish, scoring 166 points behind No. 12 Florida and No. 8 Northern Arizona. The 32-team field featured 11 nationally ranked programs.
Jessie Secor led the Buffaloes with a 17th-place finish in 19:41.8. After sitting in the high 20s at the 1k mark, she steadily moved her way through the pack, climbing to 18th by 4k and closing hard over the final stretch.
Freshman Mia Larochelle impressed in her first major test, running stride-for-stride with Secor through the middle miles before finishing 21st in 19:46.8. Fellow newcomer Hannah Prosser followed closely in 22nd at 19:47.8, giving CU back-to-back top-25 finishers. Abbey Nechanicky added a 33rd-place finish in 20:05.8, while freshman Holly Barker closed out the scoring five in 73rd at 20:35.2. Additional CU finishers included Juliette Forstrom (20:46.9), Ella Hagen (21:00.5) and Georgia Bell (21:30.8).
On the men's side, the No. 13 Buffaloes matched the women with a third-place team finish, scoring 126 points behind No. 1 Iowa State and No. 6 Virginia.
Transfer Dominic Serem paced CU with a fifth-place finish in 22:45.2. The sophomore stayed inside the top six throughout the race, surging to third at 6k before closing strong over the final stretch.
Isaiah Givens continued his consistent form, finishing 15th in 23:01.9. James Overberg made one of the biggest moves of the day, climbing from 116th at 1k to finish 30th in 23:06.8. Dean Casey ran steadily throughout, finishing 35th in 23:12.6, and Lukas Haug rounded out the scoring five in 41st at 23:18.0.
Team Standings
Women (Top 5)
Competitive: Colorado ran with confidence against ranked competition, securing third-place team finishes on both sides. The Buffs packed well early, held positions through the middle miles, and closed strong to secure podium finishes.
Youth Impact: The Buffs' underclassmen made a major impact. Freshmen Larochelle, Prosser, Barker and Liebert all scored or displaced in their first big-stage tests, complementing veterans like Secor, Serem and Givens.
Depth & Balance: Both squads proved their depth, with five inside the top 41 on the men's side and four inside the top 35 on the women's side. With experienced leaders and freshmen contributing key points, the Buffs showcased a balanced roster capable of contending against national-caliber fields.
Carlson View:
"The new additions to the women's roster have really helped us make a 180, both in performance and culture," Colorado head coach Sean Carlson said. "Because we picked up a lot of points this weekend, we can now train pretty hard through Nuttycombe and set ourselves up for the Big 12s."
Carlson highlighted standout performances across both squads. "Dominic and Jessie both ran very smart and patient races," he said. "They're only going to get better as the season goes on. For Mia, this was her first cross country race ever, and that was very impressive, she's just getting started. And Isaiah is leveling up through his ability to continue to be more consistent."
Up Next: Colorado returns to action at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 17, one of the nation's premier regular-season meets.
"The men and the women both ran fantastic team races," Colorado's Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Sean Carlson said. "Both came out here and beat a lot of highly nationally ranked teams."
The women, ranked No. 26 nationally, opened the morning with a third-place finish, scoring 166 points behind No. 12 Florida and No. 8 Northern Arizona. The 32-team field featured 11 nationally ranked programs.
Jessie Secor led the Buffaloes with a 17th-place finish in 19:41.8. After sitting in the high 20s at the 1k mark, she steadily moved her way through the pack, climbing to 18th by 4k and closing hard over the final stretch.
Freshman Mia Larochelle impressed in her first major test, running stride-for-stride with Secor through the middle miles before finishing 21st in 19:46.8. Fellow newcomer Hannah Prosser followed closely in 22nd at 19:47.8, giving CU back-to-back top-25 finishers. Abbey Nechanicky added a 33rd-place finish in 20:05.8, while freshman Holly Barker closed out the scoring five in 73rd at 20:35.2. Additional CU finishers included Juliette Forstrom (20:46.9), Ella Hagen (21:00.5) and Georgia Bell (21:30.8).
On the men's side, the No. 13 Buffaloes matched the women with a third-place team finish, scoring 126 points behind No. 1 Iowa State and No. 6 Virginia.
Transfer Dominic Serem paced CU with a fifth-place finish in 22:45.2. The sophomore stayed inside the top six throughout the race, surging to third at 6k before closing strong over the final stretch.
Isaiah Givens continued his consistent form, finishing 15th in 23:01.9. James Overberg made one of the biggest moves of the day, climbing from 116th at 1k to finish 30th in 23:06.8. Dean Casey ran steadily throughout, finishing 35th in 23:12.6, and Lukas Haug rounded out the scoring five in 41st at 23:18.0.
Team Standings
Women (Top 5)
- No. 12 Florida – 102
- No. 8 Northern Arizona – 126
- No. 26 Colorado – 166
- No. 18 Virginia – 210
- No. 22 Utah – 223
- No. 1 Iowa State – 47
- No. 6 Virginia – 107
- No. 13 Colorado – 126
- No. 11 Alabama – 193
- No. 4 BYU – 199
- Jessie Secor — 19:41.8
- Mia Larochelle — 19:46.8
- Hannah Prosser — 19:47.8
- Abbey Nechanicky — 20:05.8
- Holly Barker — 20:35.2
- Juliette Forstrom — 20:46.9
- Ella Hagen — 21:00.5
- Georgia Bell — 21:30.8
- Dominic Serem — 22:45.2 (2:54.5)
- Isaiah Givens — 23:01.9 (2:52.5)
- James Overberg — 23:06.8 (2:51.6)
- Dean Casey — 23:12.6 (2:54.8)
- Lukas Haug — 23:18.0 (2:57.6)
- Jake Liebert — 23:20.2 (2:55.0)
- Wilson Georges — 23:25.9 (2:56.3)
- Grady Rauba — 24:21.7 (3:42.3
Competitive: Colorado ran with confidence against ranked competition, securing third-place team finishes on both sides. The Buffs packed well early, held positions through the middle miles, and closed strong to secure podium finishes.
Youth Impact: The Buffs' underclassmen made a major impact. Freshmen Larochelle, Prosser, Barker and Liebert all scored or displaced in their first big-stage tests, complementing veterans like Secor, Serem and Givens.
Depth & Balance: Both squads proved their depth, with five inside the top 41 on the men's side and four inside the top 35 on the women's side. With experienced leaders and freshmen contributing key points, the Buffs showcased a balanced roster capable of contending against national-caliber fields.
Carlson View:
"The new additions to the women's roster have really helped us make a 180, both in performance and culture," Colorado head coach Sean Carlson said. "Because we picked up a lot of points this weekend, we can now train pretty hard through Nuttycombe and set ourselves up for the Big 12s."
Carlson highlighted standout performances across both squads. "Dominic and Jessie both ran very smart and patient races," he said. "They're only going to get better as the season goes on. For Mia, this was her first cross country race ever, and that was very impressive, she's just getting started. And Isaiah is leveling up through his ability to continue to be more consistent."
Up Next: Colorado returns to action at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Madison, Wisconsin, on Oct. 17, one of the nation's premier regular-season meets.
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