No. 1 BYU women's cross country team defended its Big 12 Championship title on Saturday morning, Oct. 31, 2026, at the Greiner Family Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Okla., while Jane Hedengren secured her second consecutive individual conference title by winning the 6-kilometer race.
BYU Defends Conference Title
The Cougars finished with 56 points, narrowly defeating No. 3 West Virginia, which tallied 63 points to take second place. This victory marks the fourth consecutive year the BYU women have claimed the Big 12 Championship, maintaining an undefeated streak in the conference since joining the Big 12 in 2023. All 10 BYU runners finished in the top 35, with the team's five scorers all crossing the line within the top 20.
Hedengren Secures Individual Title
Jane Hedengren dominated the race, finishing with a time of 19:28.0. Her performance was less than four seconds off the course record and marked a personal improvement of 4.5 seconds compared to her previous time on the same course at the Cowboy Jamboree. Hedengren led the race from start to finish, maintaining a lead of as much as 19 seconds by the halfway mark.
West Virginia Challenges BYU
The race was an intense matchup against West Virginia, which was projected by XCRI to take the title. While BYU held a significant 64-point lead over the Mountaineers at the 3k mark, West Virginia closed the gap significantly in the second half of the race. The Mountaineers reduced the deficit to 34 points at 4k and to 12 points by 5k, ultimately finishing just seven points behind the Cougars. West Virginia placed three athletes in the top 10, including Mercy Kinyanjui in fifth, Joy Naukot in seventh, and Shelia Chepkirui in 10th.
Key Scoring Performances
BYU's scoring depth was highlighted by senior Taylor Rohatinsky, who finished 11th, and Lexi Goff-Thompson, who finished 12th. Goff-Thompson showed a significant improvement, moving from 26th place at the first thousand meters to 12th by the finish, running 13 seconds faster than her previous Cowboy Jamboree time. The remaining BYU scorers were Taylor Lovell in 15th, Nelah Roberts in 17th, and Karrie Baloga in 19th. Jenna Hutchins finished 23rd, while Zariel Macchia, Lily Alder, and Macy Wingfand finished 26th, 27th, and 35th, respectively.
Looking Toward NCAAs
Head coach Diljeet Taylor expressed pride in the team's performance and the depth of the roster. Taylor noted that the ability for different women to step up on race days is a key strength. Looking forward, the team is preparing for the NCAA Mountain Regionals in Albuquerque, N.M., scheduled for Nov. 13, in hopes of qualifying for the NCAA Championships in late November.
Colorado Men Win Title
The women's race took place alongside a highly competitive men's race. No. 3 Colorado men won their first Big 12 title in 19 years, their 13th overall, by defeating No. 2 Oklahoma State with a score of 36-38. This result was one of the closest team races in conference history, trailing only the 2020 and 2017 meets. Colorado was led by Dominic Serem, who finished second overall in 23:06.9, just over a second behind Oklahoma State's Denis Kipnegetich, who won the individual title.
Final Meet Standings
The Big 12 championship meet also featured strong performances from other programs. No. 7 Oklahoma State finished third in the women's race with 116 points, followed by No. 4 Colorado with 117 points. In the men's race, No. 5 BYU finished with 91 points, led by Paris Olympian James Corrigan, who placed seventh.
