Huskers Begin Season at Augustana Twilight

The Nebraska cross country team starts the 2018 season at the Augustana Twilight in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday at Yankton Trail Park. The women's race begins at 8:30 p.m., while the men's race follows at 9 p.m.

This year's Augustana Twilight will be the largest field meet in history. The race includes 80 teams and 1,970 individuals. The Augustana Twilight is the first of five regular-season meets the Huskers will compete in before hosting the Big Ten Championships at Mahoney Golf Course on Oct. 28. This year's Greeno/Dirksen Invitational on Sept. 15 will also be held at Mahoney Golf Course.

The Husker men are ranked ninth in the USTFCCCA Midwest Region rankings, as they return eight of 10 letterwinners from last year's squad. Senior North Platte native Wyatt McGuire leads the group, as he finished 10th at the Big Ten Championships last year to earn second-team All-Big Ten honors. It was the highest-ever finish by a Husker male cross country runner at the Big Ten Championships. McGuire went on to finish 14th at the NCAA Midwest Regional to earn All-Midwest Region honors. Sophomore Mark Freyhof was among NU's top three finishers in four of the five meets he competed in last season.

The Husker men finished third at the 2017 Augustana Twilight with five runners placing in the top 50, including Freyhof who finished sixth in 19:47.0 to lead the Big Red.

The Nebraska women return five letterwinners from last year's team, including three of the top four runners. The Husker women finished third at last year's Augustana Twilight. NU's top returning finisher is Rachel Brush, who placed 17th in 18:20.8.

Sophomore Erika Freyhof was a top three finisher for the Huskers in the final four meets of the season last year, and Elsa Forsberg ran in NU's top four in the last three meets. Freyhof, Brush and Forsberg were three of NU's top four finishers at the Big Ten Championships in 2017.