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Nebraska cross country athletes Ali Bainbridge and Rico Leijenaar were named Runners to Watch by the Big Ten Conference heading into the 2026 season.
Bainbridge, a senior from Sioux Falls, S.D., was named Second Team All-Big Ten for the second consecutive season in 2025 after finishing 18th at the conference meet. Bainbridge has represented NU at the last three Midwest Regionals and earned the chance to compete at the NCAA Championships her sophomore year.
Leijenaar enters his junior year as a Husker following a notable finish in the men’s 8K last year at Pre-Nationals. It is the second straight season he has been named to the Big Ten Men’s Cross Country Runners to Watch list.
The Huskers begin their 2026 cross country schedule on Friday, Sept. 4, at the Cyclone Preview in Ames, Iowa. The meet is hosted by Iowa State.