Two words: Clean Slate. Those two words describe the attitude that the Kansas Cross Country team has going into Stillwater, Okla., this weekend to compete in the 72nd OSU Jamboree.

It has been three weeks since the team came in second place at the Missouri XC Challenge, but the team hasn’t dwelled on that.

“You can’t focus on the past or what you previously done because then you’re not focused on what you have in front of you,” freshman Zach Zarda said.

Junior Lauren Bonds had a similar opinion.

“It was a good experience to race another Division-I school,” she said. “Now we’re going to race a whole bunch of Division-I teams. We’re on to bigger and better things.”

Since then, the Jayhawks has been doing more workouts and are feeling more confident going into Stillwater this weekend.

“We got some workouts under our belt,” Junior Isaiah Shirlen said. “We’re a lot more fit than we were three weeks ago. We’re more race ready.”

The OSU Jamboree is the second new event on the Jayhawks’ schedule, but the oldest cross country race in the nation.

“It’s a lot of top teams from across the nation,” said Shirlen. “It will be interesting to mix it up.”

There will be more than 100 college teams competing alongside the Jayhawks, including Arkansas, Indiana, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and top-ranked Division-II school Abilene Christian University.

Although the competition looks stiff this weekend, Kansas sees plenty of opportunity for themselves.

“This is a meet where we get points for at-large bids to go to nationals,” junior Levi Huseman said.

Freshman Donny Wasinger believes that this meet is an opportunity to show what they can do after a long break. Wasinger said he’s gotten used to running 8Ks, but said he saw plenty of room for improvement and had a goal for this weekend,

“If I feel good about the race, then I’ll be happy with myself,” he said.

Redshirt freshman Kara Windisch talked about strategy for this weekend’s race.

“We’re trying to pack run,” she said. “Keep our number one through seven girls close and try to get some points.”

Sophomore Danny Van Orsdel hopes that his experience will be an advantage for the Jayhawks. Van Orsdel ran the course in Stillwater two years ago.

“It’s mostly flat with a ravine in the middle that you go through a couple of times,” Van Orsdel said. “It’s nowhere near as hilly compared to Bob Timmons or Missouri.”

Seven women and 12 men will compete, including freshmen Donny Wasinger, Austin Bussing, Rebeka Stowe and Lauren Nightengale. Nightengale said she was excited to make the travel squad for this weekend meet.

“I’ve been working really hard in practice and trying to get better and my teammates have been helping me a lot,” she said.

The women’s 5K race will start at 9:10 a.m., followed by the men’s 8K race starting at 9:45 a.m.

— — Edited by Brieun Scott