BYU's women's cross country team secured its fourth consecutive Big 12 Championship title on Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Stillwater, Oklahoma, led by a dominant performance from Jane Hedengren, who captured her second straight individual conference title. The Cougars finished with 56 points at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course, narrowly defeating West Virginia by nine points in an intense matchup.
Hedengren Secures Individual Title
Hedengren outpaced the field to secure the individual title, clocking a time of 19:28.0. Her performance was a personal best on the course, beating her previous time from the Cowboy Jamboree by 4.5 seconds. She maintained a commanding lead throughout the race, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Oklahoma State's Billah Jepkirui, who finished second with a time of 19:38.0. Iowa State's Betty Kipkore completed the women's podium in third with a time of 19:39.9.
Cougars Maintain Conference Dominance
The Cougars' victory marks the second consecutive year Hedengren has claimed the individual conference title. According to BYU, the team has won the conference championship meet every year since joining the Big 12 Conference in 2023. This win also makes the Cougars the second women's program in conference history to achieve at least four straight championships.
Scoring Depth Secures Victory
BYU's scoring depth was a decisive factor in the team victory. All 10 Cougars finished within the top 35, and all five scorers placed within the top 20. Senior Taylor Rohatinsky served as the second scorer for the Cougars, finishing 11th with a time of 19:53.9. Lexi Goff-Thompson followed closely in 12th place with a time of 19:54.7, marking a significant improvement from her performance at the Cowboy Jamboree.
Other key contributors for the championship team included Taylor Lovell, who finished 15th, and Nelah Roberts, who took 17th. Roberts moved from 23rd place during the first thousand meters to 17th by the finish. Karrie Baloga, Jenna Hutchins, Zariel Macchia, Lily Alder, and Macy Wingard also completed the BYU roster, with Wingard finishing 35th.
Coach and Athletes React
BYU head coach Diljeet Taylor expressed pride in the team's performance, noting the depth of the roster allowed different women to step up on race day. Taylor stated she is looking forward to the championship portion of the season and expressed excitement regarding the team's preparation for the upcoming NCAAs.
Reflecting on the race conditions, Hedengren noted that while the racing was difficult due to rain, the team enjoyed the experience and the opportunity to compete alongside teammates. She characterized the race as a significant data point for the team's overall season progression.
Final Team Standings
The women's competition was a tight contest between BYU and No. 3 West Virginia, which was projected by the XCRI to take the title. BYU's 56 points outperformed West Virginia's 63. The third-place team, host Oklahoma State, finished with 116 points, followed by Colorado in fourth with 117 points. The final standings for the top ten included Utah in fifth with 132 points, Iowa State in sixth with 168 points, Arizona in seventh with 219 points, Kansas in eighth with 263 points, Cincinnati in ninth with 287 points, and Texas Tech in tenth with 299 points.
Men's Championship Results
The Big 12 Cross Country Championship also saw significant results in the men's division. Colorado's men's team secured their first Big 12 men's team title since 2007, finishing with 36 points. Oklahoma State took second place with 38 points, while BYU's men's team finished third with 91 points.
In the men's individual race, Denis Kipngetich of Oklahoma State won his first individual Big 12 Men's Championship title with a time of 23:05.7. Dominic Serem of Colorado took the runner-up spot in 23:06.9, and Oklahoma State's Brian Musau finished third in 23:08.0.
Upcoming Regional Competition
Looking ahead, the BYU women's team is scheduled to travel to Albuquerque, New Mexico, in two weeks to compete in the NCAA Mountain Regionals. The women's race is slated to begin at 11 a.m. MST on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026, followed by the men's race at 12 p.m. MST.
