Rutgers cross country isn't easing into the 2025 season – they're hitting the ground running. The Scarlet Knights will kick off the 2025 season on Friday, September 5 at the New Jersey Jam in Princeton. With associate head coach Nicol Starkes at the helm, Rutgers is looking to build early momentum and make a statement this fall.
 
The team has been training consistently throughout the summer, and the early signs are promising.
 
"Everyone has put in a really solid summer," Starkes said. "That's usually the big indicator of the first couple practices and the first couple workouts. Everyone put in the work they needed to put in to get themselves ready for the whole year."
 
Entering her second season leading the cross country squad, Starkes is no stranger to the program. She spent the last four seasons as an assistant, including one as interim head coach in 2024, leading to a natural and prepared transition. That experience – especially watching how teams performed at races – led to some key changes.
 
"A big thing that we changed last year was to introduce different warmups like banded drills," said Starkes. "Our injury rate has been much lower because of that."
 
Starkes is also looking ahead with clear goals in mind, especially setting sights on improved finishes at the Big Team Championships and NCAA Regionals.
 
 "We definitely want to finish higher at Big Ten Championships and Regionals than last year," said Starkes. "The meets leading up to those are preparing us for that. Running the Big Ten course beforehand will be huge, and racing on the regional course at Paul Short in a competitive field will give us a good indicator of where we are not just in our region, but on a national level."
 
RU will compete in five regular season races, including the season opener at Princeton. The Big Ten Preview in East Lansing (Sept. 12), followed by the Paul Short Run (Oct. 3) and Princeton Invitational (Oct. 17) serve as the lead up to the Big Ten Championships on October 31.
 
Under the leadership of Starkes, the Scarlet Knights have a strong foundation, a clear plan and Rutgers cross country is ready to run with purpose in 2025.