Gophers men’s and women’s cross country started the 2024 season with wins at the Oz Memorial on Aug. 30.
Graduate student Noah Kohut-Jackson won the men’s 5K with a personal best time of 15:56.2, while junior Ali Weimer took first place for the women’s 5K at 18:19.1.
More importantly, the team prepared its new runners for the coming years.
Kohut-Jackson said he wants to identify this year as a stepping stone toward developing the next generation of Gopher runners. He highlighted redshirt freshmen Aidan Jones and Emmett Gerres as part of the next steps.
“Aidan Jones is a face that’s familiar with people who follow the program,” Kohut-Jackson said. “A phenomenally talented cross country runner at U20s last year and made the world team. So, I think he’s definitely poised to make an impact.”
By the end of the season, Kohut-Jackson wants the graduating members of the team to feel as though they left a solid foundation for Minnesota’s cross country program.
“This was a year where we really started to put the Gophers back on the map and really started building something special,” Kohut-Jackson said.
Kohut-Jackson was named the Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Wednesday for his performance at the season-opening race. Alec Basten was the last Gopher to earn this honor in 2019 when he set a program record in the 8K.
“I’d say my Oz performance and that 8K aren’t exactly apples to apples, but it’s still great to be in the news,” Kohut-Jackson said.
Redshirt junior Emmet Anderson and redshirt senior Erin Reidy are two other Gophers appearing in headlines. The athletes were named to the Big Ten’s Runners to Watch list before the season started.
Reidy said the recognition motivated her to compete knowing she has a spotlight on her.
“Not only does my program see what I’ve worked on, but other people see it as well,” Reidy said.
During the outdoor track season this year, Reidy won a silver medal in the 1500-meter at the Big Ten Championships. The second-place finish helped the Gophers win the conference title.
Reidy finished 10th in the Oz Memorial 5K and said it felt like a solid starting point, but also acknowledged the room for improvement.
“I know coach has always said that there’s a privilege in pressure,” Reidy said. “So I’m excited to hopefully be the type of person that is worth watching.”
Reidy feels like the younger athletes are settling in, but there are still adjustments to be made, such as race preparation. She said she hopes to foster growth by being compassionate and acting as a role model.
“I’m helping the legacy by showing them what they can do when they’re older,” Reidy said. “To be bigger sisters for the next group.”
The Gophers’ next competition is on Sept. 20 when Minnesota hosts the Roy Griak Invitational at the Les Bolstad Golf Course.
