The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Floyd Farms Invitational
Cross Country preview: Floyd Farms Invitational
09.03.2026 | Track & Field / Cross Country
Longhorns begin season in Lampasas on Friday morning.
AUSTIN, Texas – Texas Cross Country will open the 2026 season Friday at the Floyd Farms Invitational in Lampasas, Texas. The men's 5K is scheduled for 8 a.m., followed by the women's 5K at 8:30 a.m.
Texas will open its season in Lampasas for the first time, with both squads featuring a mix of returning experience and newcomers.
The men's lineup will be led by returners Hudson Bennett, Joaquin De La Cruz, Zain Hamdani and Aidan Torres, along with freshmen Colby Huntress, Kai McCullough and Griffen Saacke.
The women's lineup features returners Aishling Callanan, Isabel Conde de Frankenberg, Grace Kowalski, Gia Kurp and Emma Rodriguez-Wade, along with freshmen Lili Denton and Cara Sims.
Texas opened last season by sweeping the Stormy Seas Opener 5Ks. On the men's side, Torres and De La Cruz made their Longhorn debuts by finishing second and third overall, respectively, while Hamdani and Bennett also finished among the top five. Hamdani and Bennett were part of a group of five Longhorns who finished within 0.4 seconds of one another.
On the women's side, returning Longhorns Conde de Frankenberg and Kurp finished seventh and eighth overall, respectively. Conde de Frankenberg made her Texas debut after transferring from Oregon and posted a time of 18:48.88, while Kurp set a personal best with a time of 18:53.30.
The 2026 season marks the second for Texas under the direction of Sarah Smith, who enters her fourth year with Texas Track and Field/Cross Country.
Following Friday's meet, Texas will remain in the Lone Star State for the Texas A&M Invitational on Sept. 11 in College Station.
