The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M Invitational
Cross Country preview: Texas A&M Invitational
09.10.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Longhorns face strong South Central Region field Friday in College Station.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Men's and Women's Cross Country return to action Friday at the Texas A&M Invitational at Watts Cross Country Course, competing against a field that includes several of the top teams in the USTFCCCA South Central Region preseason rankings.
Cross Country at Texas A&M Invitational
When: Friday, Sept. 11 | Men's 8K: 7:30 a.m. | Women's 5K: 8:15 a.m.
Where: Watts Cross Country Course | College Station, Texas
The Longhorn men were ranked fifth and the women eighth in the preseason regional rankings. Texas A&M enters the meet ranked third on the men's side and second on the women's side, while Stephen F. Austin is fourth in the men's rankings and sixth in the women's rankings. TCU is ranked seventh in the men's rankings and 11th in the women's rankings, while SMU is fifth and Louisiana 14th on the women's rankings and Lamar 11th in the men's rankings.
Friday's meet will provide Texas with its first look at Watts Cross Country Course this season. Hosted by Texas A&M, the Longhorns will also compete on the course at the Arturo Barrios Invitational on Oct. 16 before returning for the NCAA South Central Regional on Nov. 13.
The men's 8K is scheduled for 7:30 a.m. Hudson Bennett, Joaquin De La Cruz, Zain Hamdani, Colby Huntress, Kai McCullough, Griffen Saacke and Aidan Torres will compete for Texas.
The group returns after helping the Longhorns sweep the top seven individual spots at the Floyd Farms Invitational. Torres, Hamdani and Bennett finished first, second and third, respectively, while McCullough placed fourth. All seven Texas runners crossed the finish line together, helping the team post a perfect score of 15 points.
McCullough was named the SEC Men's Cross Country Freshman of the Week following his season-opening performance, becoming the first Longhorn to earn the conference's weekly freshman honor in cross country.
The women's 5K will begin at 8:15 a.m. Aishling Callanan, Isabel Conde De Frankenberg, Lili Denton, Grace Kowalski, Gia Kurp, McKale Lee, Emma Rodriguez-Wade and Cara Sims will represent Texas. Lee will make her season and Longhorn debut at the meet.
Texas opened the season with a dominant performance from its women's group at Floyd Farms, sweeping the top five individual spots and recording a perfect score of 15 points. Callanan led the way with the individual victory, followed by Conde de Frankenberg, Denton, Sims and Kowalski in second through fifth, respectively. Rodriguez-Wade and Kurp also finished among the top 11.
