KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Qualifiers for the 2026
NAIA Men's and
Women's Cross Country National Championships were announced Tuesday afternoon, with Eastern Oregon earning at-large bids in both the men's and women's races as one of 36 qualifying programs.
In the final
NAIA Women's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll, Eastern Oregon climbed into the top 20, landing at No. 13 with 278 points. The men's team also moved up, finishing at No. 23 with 185 points in the
NAIA Men's Cross Country Coaches' Top 25 Poll.
The Mountaineer women closed out the regular season with a third-place team finish in the 6K at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships, trailing only No. 2 College of Idaho and No. 12 Lewis-Clark State. All-Conference performances from
Mia Beightol and
Megan Poler helped lead Eastern Oregon to the podium finish. The men placed fifth overall, led by an All-Conference performance from
Grady Greenwood.
With strong seasons from both squads, Eastern Oregon secured Men's and Women's At-Large bids to the NAIA National Championships. The Mounties will now turn their attention to the final race of the season in Fort Vancouver, Washington.
The Cascade Collegiate Conference will have a strong presence in the men's 8K, with Trinity Western (B.C.) earning the conference's automatic bid after claiming the CCC title. Southern Oregon, the conference runner-up, will also qualify, while Warner Pacific receives a host berth. College of Idaho, Corban and Northwest earned at-large bids.
Three additional CCC athletes qualified individually for the men's race: Max Baeder (Evergreen), Kai Miles (Oregon Tech) and Isaac Acker (Walla Walla).
In the women's 6K, the conference will be represented by CCC champion College of Idaho, runner-up Lewis-Clark State and Southern Oregon, which earned a host berth. Five additional athletes qualified individually: Eden Rosensteel (Bushnell), Alauna Carstens (Evergreen), Rachel Elliott (Northwest), Anika Jenson (Oregon Tech) and Catherine Roper (Trinity Western).
The 2026 NAIA Cross Country National Championships will take place November 20 in Fort Vancouver, Washington. The men's 8K is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. PT, followed by the women's 6K at 11:30 a.m. PT.
