ACU to Run Naimadu Classic on Friday

Friday, October 13

Abilene

Abilene Christian

ACU Naimadu Classic

10/12/2023 9:30:00 AM | Cross Country

By: Ray Fink

ABILENE – Abilene Christian goes head-to-head with seven opponents in its home cross country meet Friday evening – the Naimadu Classic.

The women's six-kilometer race begins at 6 p.m. at the ACU Cross Country Course at 2051 EN 10th Street in Abilene. The men's eight-kilometer race follows at 6:45 p.m.

Racing for the ACU women are Peyton Bornstein, Katelyn Coldicott, Bella Evans, Kate Hansen, Tessa Holderman, Georgia Lee, Hadley Phillips, Autumn Smith and Kate Williams.

Representing the ACU men are Kevin Castruita, Gabe Embree, Mikhail Fortner, Samuel Lanham, Zach Martin, Jacob Russell, Garrison Shindler and O'Brien Verdin.

Bornstein, Holderman and Coldicott have been in the scoring five of every meet for ACU this season with Bornstein leading the Cats twice before Holderman took the top spot last meet in Arkansas. Williams, Evans and Hansen have been in the scoring pack twice each.

For the men, Castruita has led the ACU assault in all three meets and Lanham has joined him in the scoring five in every meet. Shindler, Embree and Martin have been in the scoring five twice but Russell, Fortner and Verdin made their debut in that group in Arkansas two weeks ago.

ACU takes on a field that includes Dallas, North Central Texas, Northern Colorado, Oral Roberts, Ranger College, Southwestern (Texas) and Texas Lutheran.

The meet has an added benefit for the Wildcats, who host the WAC Championship on the same course in two weeks.

The meet is named for Nicodemus Naimadu, who led ACU to back-to-back NCAA men's cross country championships in 2006 and 2007 while winning the individual title four times.