WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Cross Country is set for its first meet of the season on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the John McNicholas Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana. The women’s 6k starts at 8:30 a.m. ET, while the men’s 8k follows at 9:05 a.m. ET.
The Boilers were originally scheduled to begin the season on Sept. 4 at the Winrow Valparaiso Open but the meet was canceled due to the heat index.
Men’s Notes
• The men’s program consists of six returners and four newcomers, including three freshmen.
• Douglas Buckeridge leads the group as a three-time Great Lakes All-Region honoree and was First Team All-Big Ten last season after he finished seventh. Buckeridge is one year removed from his 2024 campaign that featured a runner-up finish in the Great Lakes Region and 43rd-place finish at the NCAA Championships.
• Nerius White returns after he ended last season 43rd in the Great Lakes Region. The finish was 35 places higher than the previous season in 2024.
• Hugh Jacobsmeyer will look to make an impact on the cross country course after he put together one of the best mid-distance campaigns in school history on the track last season. He set school records in both the indoor and outdoor 800m and added another record in the 1500m outdoors. The junior competed in his first cross country season as a Boilermaker last year and took part in four meets.
• Freshmen on the roster looking ahead to their collegiate debut are Thomas Czerwinski, Riley Simmonds and Jace Works.
Women’s Notes
• The women’s program consists of nine returners, one transfer and one freshman.
• Lauren Pegher is atop the group as Purdue’s Big Ten Cross Country Athlete to Watch. After she ended last season in the top 100 at the Great Lakes Regional, Pegher put together a strong indoor season with top five program marks in both the 3000m and 5000m.
• Julia Economou returns for her senior season after finishing in the top 100 last season at the Big Ten Championships.
• Purdue went into the transfer portal and added Sawyer DeWitt to the program from Indiana State. She finished 17th at the Missouri Valley Championships last season and was 73rd at the Great Lakes Regional.
• Nora Gerzema is the lone Boilermaker on the women's side looking ahead to her collegiate debut.
Next Up
Purdue heads to Chicago for the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational on Friday, Sept. 25.
