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Nebraska cross country runners Ali Bainbridge and Rico Leijenaar were recognized as Big Ten Preseason Runners to Watch.
Bainbridge is coming off an impressive 2024 campaign, where she earned NCAA All-Midwest Region and second-team All-Big Ten honors. The rising junior represented the Huskers at the 2024 NCAA Championships and grabbed a 76th-place finish, the highest for an NU athlete since 2008. Bainbridge was the Big Red’s top finisher in three out of five meets last season, including the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Leijenaar, a rising sophomore, was the Husker men’s top finisher in two out of five meets last season. He placed 39th at the NCAA Midwest Regional and notched his best finish of the season at the Greeno/Dirksen Invitational, where he was 10th.
The Nebraska men’s and women’s cross country teams will open the 2025 season on Sept. 5, 2025 at the Platte River Rumble in Ashland, Neb. The women’s 5k is set to start at 6 p.m. (CT), while the men’s 6k will immediately follow at 6:45 p.m. (CT).