2021 FHSU Tiger Open
Saturday, October 9
Sand Plum Nature Trail • Victoria, Kan.
Women's 5K Black Race (JuCo/NAIA) - 9:00 a.m.
Men's 8K Black Race (JuCo/NAIA) - 9:35 a.m.
Women's 5K Gold Race (NCAA DII/Open) - 10:25 a.m.
Men's 8K Gold Race (NCAA DII/Open) - 11:00 a.m.
The Fort Hays State cross country team will host the 2021 FHSU Tiger Open on Saturday (Oct. 9) at the Sand Plum Nature Trail in Victoria, Kan. The first of four races will begin at 9 a.m.
This is the ninth edition of the Tiger Open and is slated to be the largest in meet history. 785 individuals from 40 different schools are currently entered across the four races. There will be eight MIAA programs in attendance and a total of 25 ranked programs across the NCAA DII, NAIA and NJCAA ranks. The previous record for the largest field was set in 2017 when 695 athletes crossed the finish line.
Maps of the course and directions to Sand Plum can be found here or at the link above. Results will be posted to Heartland Timing's website as soon as they are available.
The majority of the NAIA and junior college programs in attendance will compete in the black races, with the women's 5K to start at 9 a.m. and the men's 8K to follow at 9:35 a.m. The majority of the NCAA DII teams, including all 31 Fort Hays State athletes, will run in the gold races, with the women's 5K going off at 10:25 a.m. and the men's 8K wrapping up the day at 11 a.m.
The women's five-kilometer course record belongs to Georgia Porter of Western State, who traversed the course in 16:33 in 2016. The men's eight-kilometer record was broken in the most recent Tiger Open when Wesley Banguria of Colby CC crossed the finish line in 23:11 in 2019.
The Tiger women are coming off a team win in their most recent race, with FHSU coming away victorious at the Emporia State Invitational for the fourth-straight time. Brooke Navarro has led the Tigers to the finish line in two of three events this season, with Abigail Stewart pacing the team in Denver last month. Emily Salmans and Jaycee Vath have also factored into the team score at all three events this year. Hannah Burks has been in the top five for the Tigers twice while Darian Hudgeons occupied the fifth spot for FHSU once.
The Fort Hays State men have a pair of runner-up finishes and one fourth-place finish as a team so far this season. Robbie Schmidt has been the top Tiger all year, winning the UNK Invitational and placing in the top 10 at the Roadrunner Invitational before finishing second at the Emporia State Invite. Jaret Pfizenmaier and Erick Estrada have also been in the top five for FHSU in all three races, while Caleb Carrasco and Aaron Mangan have both factored into the team score twice. Edwin Garcia and Javyn Contreras have both been in the top five once this year.
Scheduled runners for the women's team include Hayley Burks, Darian Hudgeons, Halle Johnson, Marina Johnson, Gretchen Kuffel, Faith Little, Brooke Navarro, Mya Navarro, Carson Pierce, Emily Salmans, Abigail Stewart, Tabitha Stowers, Jaycee Vath and Hannah Wiebe.
Those representing the Tigers on the men's side include Grant Bradley, Gavin Brady, Caleb Carrasco, Javyn Contreras, Ethan Emmons, Erick Estrada, Edwin Garcia, Sebastian Garcia, Ethan Lang, Aaron Mangan, Trever Medina, Jaret Pfizenmaier, Isaac Radke, Robbie Schmidt, Matthew Schrag and Kaden Wren.
Ranked Programs Competing in 2021 FHSU Tiger Classic (Rankings as of 9/29/2021)
Men DII
#1 Colorado School of Mines
#3 Adams State
#5 Colorado Christian
#20 Northwest Missouri State
Women DII
#2 Colorado School of Mines
#3 Adams State
#21 Colorado Christian
#26 Northwest Missouri State
Men JuCo DI
#2 Colby CC
#5 Cloud County CC
#8 Northwest Kansas Tech
#11 Garden City CC
#16 Hutchinson CC
#17 Fort Scott CC
#21 Dodge City CC
Women JuCo DI
#7 Dodge City
#9 Cloud County CC
#11 Hutchinson CC
#14 Garden City CC
#18 Butler CC
Men JuCo DII
#1 Cowley College
#13 Allen CC
Women JuCo DII
#2 Cowley College
Men NAIA
#2 Saint Mary's
Women NAIA
#6 Saint Mary's