Two Cats Earn All-Conference Honors as Cross Country Teams Place Third at Big Sky Championship

Saturday, November 1

Bozeman, Mont.

11 a.m.

Montana State University

Big Sky Championships

Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services

Two Cats Earn All-Conference Honors as Cross Country Teams Place Third at Big Sky Championship

11/1/2025 4:35:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

Women's 5k Results Men's 8k Results

Owen Smith and Sam Ells post top-10 performances to lead the Bobcats in Bozeman

By: Pershelle Rohrer

BOZEMAN, Mont. --- The Montana State men's and women's cross country teams each placed third at the Big Sky Championship to start postseason competition strong at Bridger Creek Golf Course in Bozeman on Saturday.

Owen Smith and Sam Ells placed sixth and 10^th, respectively, to earn All-Big Sky honors while Ryan Harrington was named Freshman of the Year as the top-finishing freshman following his 15^th-place result. The Bobcat men tallied 76 points in the 8k to finish third behind five-time defending champion Northern Arizona (20) and Weber State (58). No. 7 Northern Arizona's Colin Sahlman earned the individual title with an 8k time of 23:41.3.

On the women's side, Madi Siana (11^th) and Eva Koos (12^th) finished just shy of earning All-Conference honors, which are given to the top-10 finishers at the conference meet. The Bobcat duo guided the team to an 83-point performance, finishing third as a team and just three points shy of second-place Weber State (80). The 17^th-ranked Northern Arizona women earned their sixth-straight conference title with a near-perfect 16 points as Hayley Burns claimed the individual title with a 5k time of 16:05.7.

"The women's team competed so well and had their best meet of the season," Dale Kennedy Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Lyle Weese said. "Madi Siana had another great run, and Eva Koos and Annie Kaul really had outstanding races. Owen Smith continued his standout senior season and came away with his first All-Conference award. Sam Ells had another strong performance coming off his strong run at Pre-NCAAs a couple weeks ago. Ryan Harrington was rewarded as the outstanding freshman of the meet, which is fitting considering what a great freshman cross country season he has put together."

Smith posted a time of 24:08.5 on the hilly Bridger Creek Cross Country Course to place sixth out of 82 Big Sky competitors in the 8k. The graduate student ran consistently in the top 10 and climbed as high as third place in the final home race of his collegiate career. Ells finished four places behind in 10^th with a time of 24:28.0 as Montana State's second scorer. Both runners came away with All-Big Sky honors. Big Sky Freshman of the Year Ryan Harrington took 15^th place with a time of 24:47.7, crossing the finish line third for the Bobcats. Rounding out MSU's scorers were AJ Ringert, who placed 25^th with a time of 25:19.3, and Harvey Cramb, who posted a time of 25:22.3 for 27^th place overall.

Siana led the Bobcat women with a 5k time of 17:08.8 to finish 11^th while Koos finished just under two seconds behind in 12^th (17:10.5). Freshman Claire Rutherford posted a 17^th-place finish with a time of 17:25.2, and Annie Kaul clocked a 17:29.5 to cross the finish line 19^th. Hannah Perrin was Montana State's fifth and final scorer with a time of 17:40.30.

Full results from the Big Sky Championship can be found on Competitive Timing.

The Bobcats will next head south to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the Mountain Region Championships on Friday, Nov. 14. The meet will be held at the Regional Athletic Complex with the men's 10k set for 10:30 a.m. and the women's 6k slated to begin at 11:30 a.m. The top-two teams plus the top-four finishers not on an advancing team per gender will automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships, which will take place in Columbia, Mo. on Saturday, Nov. 22. An additional 14 teams and two individuals per gender will receive at-large bids to the championship meet. Those selections will be announced as part of the NCAA's selection show on Saturday, Nov. 15, at 3 p.m. MT.

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For the latest news, updates, and behind-the-scenes coverage of the Montana State cross country teams, 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.