Olympians, national champions, World Championship runners all ready to race Thursday in Austin

By Scott Bush

The FitnessBank Cross Champs take place Thursday evening in Austin, Texas, and while many of the top pro teams in the United States will be squaring off with a hefty prize purse on the line, the star power up front promises to be just as exciting. 

Watch The Cross Champs Live (Thu., 4:20pm CT) | Live Results | Event Coverage

Here are ten of the top names to watch at The Cross Champs: 

Alicia Monson (On Athletics Club): Monson is having one of the best seasons of an American distance runner in the past decade. The OAC athlete not only earned 13th overall at the World Athletics Championships this summer in Eugene, she also became the third fastest 5000m runner in American history with her 14:31.11 performance at the Zurich Diamond League Meet, fourth fastest American over 3000m with her 8:26.81 effort, and seventh fastest 10,000m runner with her PR of 30:51.09. Top top it all off, she won the USATF Cross Country Championships at the beginning of the year by 17 seconds over a strong field. She’s the favorite entering Thursday’s contest.

Joe Klecker (On Athletics Club): What a season it’s been for Klecker. The former University of Colorado star won the USATF 10,000m Championships to start his summer, which led to a ninth place finish at the World Athletics Championships in the event. He ran 13:04 for 5000m twice this season, while running 13:15 in September at the Brussels Diamond League meet. While it remains to be seen what sort of shape Klecker will enter Thursday’s contest in, he has plenty of cross country success to his name, including a NCAA Cross Country Championships runner-up effort in 2019.

Emily Infeld (Nike): For all of the disruptions in Infeld’s training over the past few seasons, the Olympian has had a fantastic 2022 campaign. Infeld placed third at the USATF Cross Country Championships to kick off her season, following that up with third place efforts at the USATF 10 km Road Championships and USATF 5 km Road Championships, along with a third place finish in the USATF Outdoor Championships in the 5000m. She then competed at the World Athletics Championships by making the 5000m final. She’s poised for another terrific race in Austin.

Hillary Bor (American Distance Program): Similar to other top pros in Austin, Bor is having himself a career year. Bor not only won the 3000m steeplechase title at the USATF Outdoor Championships, he followed it up by making the World Athletics Championships final and placing eighth overall. He won the USATF 10 Mile Road Championships back in October, then placed second, only five seconds back from winner Abdihamid Nur at the USATF 5 km Road Championships earlier this month.

Fiona O’Keeffe (Puma Elite): One of the more overlooked American runners this season, O’Keefe is having a very strong season. She placed sixth in the 5000m at the USATF Outdoor Championships this summer. She followed that effort with a dominating performance at the USATF 10 Mile Championships, winning her first USATF title by 28 seconds in October. She’s fit, continues to rack up top five finishes, and should challenge for a top three finish in Austin.

Sam Chelanga (American Distance Program): If there is one runner fans can count on to take the lead at some point Thursday and push the pace, it’s Chelanga. The veteran is known for his front-running exploits and is showing supreme fitness this season. Chelanga placed third at the start of the calendar year at the USATF Cross Country Championships, placed second at the USATF 10 Mile Road Championships, and took third at both of the USATF 10 km Road and USATF 20 km Road Championships. He’s fit, tough, and ready to challenge for the win.

Courtney Wayment (Taylor Made Elite): What a season by the former BYU standout. Waymant, a four-time NCAA champion, became the third fastest American of all-time in the steeplechase with her 9:09.81 PR effort this summer. Making the World Athletics Championships and placing 12th in the steeplechase final, along with a sixth place finish in the event at the Monaco Diamond League meet – where she ran the 9:09 performance – simply proves she’s a star on the rise. Not to be overlooked, Waymant owns two top 10 finishes at the NCAA Cross Country Championships from 2018 and 2019, showing she’s more than capable to compete for the win at The Cross Champs.

Adrian Wildschutt (HOKA Northern Arizona Elite): Wildschutt should enter Thursday’s contest at worst a co-favorite and at best a clear favorite to win on the men’s side. The former Florida State star, who now trains with HOKA Northern Arizona Elite, qualified for the World Athletics Championships in the 5000m, later finishing fifth in the 10,000m at the Commonwealth Games, where he represented South Africa. Wildschutt is strong and has shown his cross country chops recently, placing runner-up at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in March 2021. And don’t forget he ran 13:09.30 for 5000m indoors in 2022.

Natosha Rogers (Hansons-Brooks ODP): Rogers had the best summer of her professional career when she not only placed third at the USATF 10,000m Championship, earning a spot on Team USA for the World Athletics Championships, but then placing 15th in the 10,000m final in Eugene. To top it off, she earned a fifth place finish at the USATF Outdoor Championships in the 5000m. More recently, Rogers placed tenth at the USATF 5 km Road Championships, showing she’s rounding into form after a busy summer.