Cross Country Treks to Flagstaff for Big Sky Championships

Friday, October 30

Flagstaff, Ariz.

11 a.m.

Montana State University

Big Sky Cross Country Championships

10/29/2026 6:35:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Bobcats seek a pair of strong results to open postseason competition

By: Pershelle Rohrer

BOZEMAN, Mont. – After a four-meet regular season slate, the Montana State cross country program is set to open the postseason at the Big Sky Cross Country Championships at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Friday.

The Bobcats will test themselves against the Big Sky Conference's other 10 programs as the men seek their sixth-straight top-three finish and the women look to finish in the top three for the fourth-straight year. The men's team will open competition with the 8k at 11 a.m. MDT, and the women will follow in the 5k at 12 p.m. MDT.

Live results from the Big Sky Cross Country Championships will be available here. The meet will not be live streamed.

The Competition: The Bobcats will compete as part of an 11-team field featuring all members of the Big Sky Conference. Montana State enters Friday's meet ranked second in the Big Sky on the men's and women's side in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Cross Country Rating Index (XCRI) behind league favorite Northern Arizona. Southern Utah, Weber State, and Montana are projected third through fifth on the men's side, with Utah Tech (sixth), Idaho (seventh), Eastern Washington (eighth), Idaho State (ninth), Portland State (10^th), and Northern Colorado (11^th) completing the field.

On the women's side, Weber State, Idaho State, and Southern Utah follow first- and second-place Northern Arizona and Montana State in the XCRI's Big Sky top five, with Utah Tech, Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Northern Colorado, Montana, and Portland State slotting into the sixth through 11^th positions.

Bobcat Competitors: Ten Bobcat men and 10 Montana State women are expected to take the course at Buffalo Park on Friday.

Montana State's men's entries for the Big Sky Championships include Tyler Blair, Eli Boppart, Pierre Carlier, Harvey Cramb, Sam Ells, Ryan Harrington, Niko Mann, Quinn Newman, AJ Ringert, and Blaise Snow.

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

What's at Stake: Montana State looks to continue its form of success at the Big Sky Championships this week, seeking to extend the men's streak of five-straight top-three results and the women's run of four consecutive top-three finishes at the meet. The men will look to capture their first conference title since 2002, while the women are seeking their first championship victory since 1995.

The Bobcats will also look to bring home individual all-conference accolades with strong performances in Flagstaff. The top 10 runners in each race on Friday will be named All-Big Sky, while the top-placing freshman in each race will earn Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors. Awards will be presented at 1 p.m. MDT following the conclusion of both races.

Last Time Out: The Bobcats concluded the regular season in strong fashion at the Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind., on Oct. 16, with the men finishing 12^th (326 points) and the women taking 28^th as a team (728). The Bobcat men finished 13 slots ahead of their projected ranking coming into the race, while the women's squad added 10 places to their projected ranking in a successful meet weekend. All five men's scorers cracked the top 100 in the race, led by Sam Ells' 27^th-place result with a time of 23:43.6 in the Blue 8k. Niamh Motley led the Bobcat women with an 82-second personal best in the Blue 6k, clocking a time of 21:49.2 to place 56^th overall. Ells was named Big Sky Co-Men's Athlete of the Week for his efforts, marking his third conference honor of the season, while Motley earned her first career Big Sky Women's Athlete of the Week award following a strong showing in Indiana.

Bobcats in the Polls: Following their strong team showings at the Pre-National Invitational, the Bobcat men climbed three spots to sixth in the USTFCCCA's Mountain Region rankings, while the women checked in at No. 10, improving by two spots in the rankings. The Montana State men's sixth-place ranking marks their highest since week two of the 2024 season, while the Bobcat women matched their 10^th-place ranking from week one of the 2025 campaign. Both Bobcat squads enter the conference championships ranked second among Big Sky Conference teams.

Up Next: The Bobcats will continue postseason competition in Albuquerque, N.M., in two weeks, competing at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships at the UNM Championship Course on Friday, Nov. 13.

Follow the Bobcats
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.