The Trailblazers made their Big Sky Cross Country Championship debut on Friday, Oct. 30, 2026, with the women finishing sixth as a team and the men placing eighth at Buffalo Park in Flagstaff, Ariz. According to a report published Oct. 30, the women recorded 156 points while the men finished with 208 points.
On the women's side, senior Averie Perriton was the top Trailblazer, setting a new program record in the 5K with a time of 16:59.6 to finish 18th. She was followed by senior Adri Bird in 28th, sophomore Natalie Roberts in 37th, freshman Maya Parker in 40th, and freshman Talia Anderson in 48th. All four of these scorers, along with freshman Ashlynn Lainhart, posted top 10 program times in the 5K. Northern Arizona won the women's championship with 16 points, followed by Montana State, Idaho, Weber State, and Southern Utah in the top five.
The men's 8K race was led by senior Ryan Hatch, a Flagstaff native, who posted a time of 25:21.3 to place 35th. The other four Trailblazers to score were junior Brady Eager in 41st, sophomore Brett Bailey in 48th, senior Aiden Hardy in 55th, and junior Carter Day in 59th. Five other Blazers competed in the 8K to help the team secure eighth place. Northern Arizona also won the men's championship, marking their sixth straight title with 20 points. Montana State, Weber State, Southern Utah, and Montana occupied the next four spots in the top five.
The women's race results included Makayla Boulton in 60th, Hailee Phillips in 70th, Kambrie Wilkinson in 73rd, and Makayla Pitcher in 74th. The men's field included Connor Singer (72nd), Benjamin Fernandez (75th), Carter Frost (76th), Collin Manning (88th), and Joey Hartnett (91st).
The Trailblazers are scheduled to continue postseason action at the NCAA West Regional Championships, which will be hosted by Sacramento State at the Arcade Creek XC Course on Nov. 13.
