Bobcats Set for Pre-National Invitational to Wrap Up Regular Season

Friday, October 16

Terre Haute, Ind.

8 a.m.

Montana State University

Pre-National Invitational

Photo by: Pershelle Rohrer

Bobcats Set for Pre-National Invitational to Wrap Up Regular Season

10/15/2026 6:41:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Montana State to face elite competition in Indiana on Friday

By: Pershelle Rohrer

BOZEMAN, Mont. – The Montana State cross country program is set to conclude regular-season competition on Friday in Terre Haute, Ind., when it competes at the Pre-National Invitational at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.

The Bobcats will face a slew of nationally ranked teams in Indiana as they test out the 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships site for the first time this season. Montana State will compete in all four races at the Indiana State-hosted meet, with eight runners competing in the men's and women's blue races and the remaining Bobcats running in the white races later in the morning. The women's 6k blue race will open the meet at 8 a.m. MT, with the men's 8k blue to follow at 8:40 a.m. The white races will take place at 9:20 a.m. for the women and 10 a.m. for the men, respectively.

Live results from the Pre-National Invitational will be available here. The meet will be live streamed via RunnerSpace+starting at 7:40 a.m. MT.

"This competition will be different compared to the first three meets of the year both in terms of field size and the quality of the field," Dale Kennedy Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Lyle Weese said. "We are excited for the opportunity, and the expectation is that we will perform well. The race will give us a good gauge on where we are at, and we will take that information to make the most out of future practices and competitions."

The Competition: Montana State will compete as part of a 45-team field in both blue races on Friday, with those teams' individuals over the eight-runner limit to compete in the white races later in the day. The women's white race will also include 17 teams not competing in the blue race, while the men's race will feature 13 additional squads.

The Bobcats will test themselves against nationally ranked competition for the first time this season as they make their final preparations for the postseason. The Bobcat women will face seven squads ranked in the top 30 nationally in the most recent U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll, as well as two teams who received votes in this week's rankings. Those teams include No. 1 NC State, No. 2 BYU, No. 7 Notre Dame, No. 19 North Carolina, No. 23 Clemson, No. 29 Boston College, No. 30 Duke, (RV) Syracuse, and (RV) Kentucky.

On the men's side, Montana State will face six nationally ranked squads and one receiving votes in this week's national coaches' poll. Those teams are No. 8 Syracuse; No. 14 Villanova; No. 15 Notre Dame; Arizona and Utah Valley, who share the No. 26 ranking; No. 29 North Carolina; and (RV) Utah State.

Montana State will also face a pair of Big Sky competitors, with Southern Utah competing in the men's blue race and Utah Tech competing in the men's blue and women's white races.

Bobcat Competitors: Twenty Bobcats will compete in the regular-season finale, including 10 women and 10 men.

Montana State will be represented on the women's side by Caroline Fender, Samantha Geraets, Annie Kaul, Eva Koos, Sofia Ledermann, Addi Lilyquist, Niamh Motley, Claire Rutherford, Kaitlyn Skinner, and Quinn Stranahan.

The Bobcat men expected to compete on Friday include Tyler Blair, Eli Boppart, Pierre Carlier, Harvey Cramb, Sam Ells, Ryan Harrington, Niko Mann, Race Morrell, Quinn Newman, and AJ Ringert, with Carlier set to make his Montana State debut.

Last Time Out: Montana State continued its undefeated run in team competition at the Frank Knott Classic in Spokane Valley, Wash., on Oct. 3. The Bobcat women tallied a perfect 15 points in their first 6k of the season as Claire Rutherford earned her second victory of 2026 (20:50.2). The men's squad accumulated 20 points, with four Bobcats finishing in the top five individually, as Sam Ells earned the individual title for the third consecutive meet to open the season (23:42.8). Rutherford and Ells earned Big Sky Women's and Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors for their efforts, respectively, marking the second award of the season for each runner.

Bobcats in the Polls: Montana State remained in ninth in the USTFCCCA Men's Mountain Region Rankings and 12th in the Women's Rankings heading into the Pre-National Invitational. Both blue races have six teams ranked in the top 15 in the most recent Mountain Region rankings, with Montana State ranking third among Mountain Region teams on the men's side and sixth on the women's side. Other Mountain Region competitors in Terre Haute on Friday include No. 5 Utah Valley, No. 6 Utah State, No. 10 Colorado State, No. 11 Southern Utah, and No. 12 Wyoming on the men's side, and No. 1 BYU, No. 6 Wyoming, No. 7 Utah Valley, No. 8 Utah State, and No. 9 Colorado State on the women's side.

Up Next: Montana State concludes its regular season in Terre Haute on Friday and will open postseason competition at the Big Sky Championships in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Oct. 30. The NCAA Mountain Region Championships will follow in Albuquerque, N.M., on Nov. 13, with qualifying athletes to wrap up the season at the NCAA Cross Championships in Terre Haute on Nov. 21.

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For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State cross country program, follow the Bobcats on Twitter and Instagram at @MSUBobcatsTFXC. Information on the Montana State athletic program can be found online at msubobcats.com or by following the Bobcats on Twitter at @MSUBobcats, Instagram at @MontanaStateBobcats, and on Facebook at Montana State Bobcats.