The Emporia State cross country teams will welcome in plenty of new faces for the 2026 campaign. The Lady Hornets have 15 on the roster for 2026 after finishing ninth at the MIAA Championships and 22nd at their NCAA Regional in 2025. Head coach Justin Hill begins his third leading the program and is excited about the additions to the roster.
On the men’s side, the added roster spots will help add more depth.
Emma Bartholome is among the returners with experience for the Lady Hornets along with senior Valyrie Freeman who is in her second year in Emporia. Among the fresh faces are Olpe product Lily Skalsky. On the men’s side, Gage Chapman is the lone senior on the roster with a whopping 10 freshman comprising a young team. ESU opens the season on September 5 in Wichita at the JK Gold Classic hosted by Wichita State. For the second-straight year and just the third time since 1981, the Hornets will not be hosting a home meet at Jones Park. The Hornets will host the ESU Alumni Run as a preseason exhibition at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, August 28 at Champions Landing.
