Cross-country may not always appear to be a team sport, but last weekend running as a team was the focus for both the men and the women at the Bob Timmons Classic.

“In unison they are a lot stronger than as individuals,” assistant coach Michael Whittlesey said.

The men’s and women’s teams both finished first.

In the women’s race it was a fight for the finish between sophomores Rebeka Stowe and Kara Windisch and it was this competition that gave both runners a little extra edge in the race.

“Rebeka and I pushed each other while we were running,” Windisch said. “I think throughout the race we were just staying positive.”

Stowe ended up winning the battle and took first place, setting a personal record by two minutes with a time of 18:42.29.

“Last year I didn’t have a great race here,” Stowe said. “It was really exciting to come through and feel strong doing it.”

The men focused on staying together as well.

“We worked together for the first couple of miles and kind of had a little game plan,” sophomore Donny Wasinger said.

That game plan was to set a good pace and then spread out after the first two or three miles. When the team hit the two-and-a-half-mile mark Wasinger, freshman David Roberts, senior Bret Imgrund, and sophomore Zach Zarda ran ahead of the pack. They finished third, fifth, sixth and seventh, but the rest of the men’s team was not far behind.

Roberts had an impressive show in his first meet as a Kansas runner coming in a little more than 20 seconds behind the first place finisher.

The women’s team also had a strong start from one of its freshmen.

Freshman Kyra Kilwein started out toward the back of the pack but was the third Kansas runner to cross the finish line and the fourth overall.

“She’s been working very hard,” Whittlesey said. “And it’s paying off.”

The team will participate in the Missouri Cross Country Challenge in Columbia, Mo. this weekend.

— — Edited by Megan Morriss