Photo by: Bobcat Creative Services
Cross Country Releases 2026 Schedule
8/6/2026 11:34:00 AM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Cats set to open season at home on Sept. 4
BOZEMAN, Mont. --- The Montana State cross country team released its full meet schedule for the 2026 season, Dale Kennedy Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Lyle Weese announced on Thursday.
The Bobcats will compete in six regular-season meets across three states during the 2026 campaign in preparation for the Big Sky Championships and NCAA postseason events. The annual MSU Bobcat Twilight and two trips to Terre Haute, Ind., the site of this season's NCAA Cross Country Championships, highlight the 2026 calendar as the Bobcats seek to put together another strong season after finishing third at the Big Sky Championships in Bozeman a year ago.
"The schedule has a nice balance of meets closer to home and high-end travel competitions," Weese said. "These race opportunities in varied situations will prepare us for success in the championship portion of the season."
Montana State will open the 2026 by hosting the MSU Bobcat Twilight at Dyche Field in Bozeman on Sept. 4. The meet will feature a Community, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff 3k at 6:30 p.m. ahead of the collegiate 5k races, which includes the men's race at 7:20 p.m. followed by the women's race at 7:45 p.m. The Cats will look to defend their men's and women's team titles after winning both races last season, with Sam Ells and Eva Koos entering the meet as the defending individual champions. This year marks the sixth-straight campaign that the Bobcats have opened at home.
The Bobcats will split up for their second meet weekend of the year, with some athletes traveling to Missoula for the Montana Invite on Sept. 18, while the remainder of the squad makes its first trip to Terre Haute, Ind., for the John McNichols Invitational on Sept. 19. The Montana-hosted meet will take place at the University of Montana Golf Course, marking the Bobcats' first cross country trip to Missoula since 2023. The Bobcats took home the team and individual victories on both the men's and women's side during their last trip to Missoula. The Bobcats are set to return to Terre Haute for the first time since 2019, when the Cats competed at the Indiana State-hosted Pre-National Invitational. Camila Noe also competed individually at the LaVern Gibson Championships Cross Country Course that season, placing 30th at the NCAA Championships to become the first Bobcat woman in program history to earn cross country All-America honors.
Montana State's season continues in Spokane Valley, Wash., with the Frank Knott Classic on Oct. 3. The meet will be hosted by Whitworth at The Course Spokane Valley, with the Bobcats competing at the meet for the first time in 2026. The Cats will then compete six days later at the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bears Invite on Oct. 9, at Amend Park in Billings, Mont., also marking the Bobcats' first appearance in the meet.
The Cats will conclude the regular season on Oct. 16, returning to Terre Haute for the Pre-National Invitational at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. Montana State will test itself against a nationally competitive field as it makes its final preparations for postseason competition.
The Bobcats will head south to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the Big Sky Cross Country Championships on Oct. 30, marking the beginning of postseason competition. The Cats will seek their sixth-straight top-three finish on the men's side and their fifth consecutive top-three women's result when they compete at Buffalo Park to close out October.
Montana State will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., to open NCAA competition at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships on Nov. 13 as it seeks to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The New Mexico-hosted meet will be held at the UNM Championship Course, with the top two teams in each race automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
Following the NCAA Regionals, 14 at-large teams will be selected to join the two automatic qualifiers from each of the nine regional meets as part of the 32-team field at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. A group of 38 individuals will also qualify for the meet, with the top four individual competitors at each regional not on an advancing team earning automatic bids to the meet, along with the two highest placing individuals at a regional who were not automatic qualifiers. The NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 21.
Montana State enters the 2026 cross country season with a 15-member men's roster and an 18-member women's squad. The Bobcat men are set to retain nine members of their 2025 roster, while 11 women will make their return to the team in 2026. Both teams retained four of their five scorers from last season's Big Sky Championships, providing strong experience heading into 2026. Those runners include 2025 All-Big Sky honoree and MSU Bobcat Twilight winner Sam Ells, 2025 Big Sky Freshman of the Year Ryan Harrington, AJ Ringert, and Harvey Cramb on the men's side. On the women's side, Madi Siana, who was the Bobcats' top finisher in four meets last season, will return in 2026 alongside 2025 MSU Bobcat Twilight champion Eva Koos, Claire Rutherford, and Annie Kaul. Other returning Bobcats from the 2025 roster include Eli Boppart, Jackson Fagerlin, Niko Mann, Quinn Newman, and Blaise Snow for the men and Stella Diaz, Samantha Geraets, Sophia Miller, Kalei Moravitz, Niamh Motley, Iris Rogel, and Kaitlyn Skinner for the women.
Montana State's newcomers for the 2026 season include a group of six men and seven women to help round out the roster. The 13 new Bobcats are Tyler Blair, Dylan Hill, Camden Houchin, Kye McAbee, Race Morrell, and Finn Schretenthaler for the men and Gianna Cicora, Caroline Fender, Sofia Ledermann, Addi Lilyquist, Kensey May, Miranda Oblad, and Quinn Stranahan for the women.
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.
The Bobcats will compete in six regular-season meets across three states during the 2026 campaign in preparation for the Big Sky Championships and NCAA postseason events. The annual MSU Bobcat Twilight and two trips to Terre Haute, Ind., the site of this season's NCAA Cross Country Championships, highlight the 2026 calendar as the Bobcats seek to put together another strong season after finishing third at the Big Sky Championships in Bozeman a year ago.
"The schedule has a nice balance of meets closer to home and high-end travel competitions," Weese said. "These race opportunities in varied situations will prepare us for success in the championship portion of the season."
Montana State will open the 2026 by hosting the MSU Bobcat Twilight at Dyche Field in Bozeman on Sept. 4. The meet will feature a Community, Alumni, Faculty, and Staff 3k at 6:30 p.m. ahead of the collegiate 5k races, which includes the men's race at 7:20 p.m. followed by the women's race at 7:45 p.m. The Cats will look to defend their men's and women's team titles after winning both races last season, with Sam Ells and Eva Koos entering the meet as the defending individual champions. This year marks the sixth-straight campaign that the Bobcats have opened at home.
The Bobcats will split up for their second meet weekend of the year, with some athletes traveling to Missoula for the Montana Invite on Sept. 18, while the remainder of the squad makes its first trip to Terre Haute, Ind., for the John McNichols Invitational on Sept. 19. The Montana-hosted meet will take place at the University of Montana Golf Course, marking the Bobcats' first cross country trip to Missoula since 2023. The Bobcats took home the team and individual victories on both the men's and women's side during their last trip to Missoula. The Bobcats are set to return to Terre Haute for the first time since 2019, when the Cats competed at the Indiana State-hosted Pre-National Invitational. Camila Noe also competed individually at the LaVern Gibson Championships Cross Country Course that season, placing 30th at the NCAA Championships to become the first Bobcat woman in program history to earn cross country All-America honors.
Montana State's season continues in Spokane Valley, Wash., with the Frank Knott Classic on Oct. 3. The meet will be hosted by Whitworth at The Course Spokane Valley, with the Bobcats competing at the meet for the first time in 2026. The Cats will then compete six days later at the Yellowjacket/Battlin' Bears Invite on Oct. 9, at Amend Park in Billings, Mont., also marking the Bobcats' first appearance in the meet.
The Cats will conclude the regular season on Oct. 16, returning to Terre Haute for the Pre-National Invitational at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. Montana State will test itself against a nationally competitive field as it makes its final preparations for postseason competition.
The Bobcats will head south to Flagstaff, Ariz., for the Big Sky Cross Country Championships on Oct. 30, marking the beginning of postseason competition. The Cats will seek their sixth-straight top-three finish on the men's side and their fifth consecutive top-three women's result when they compete at Buffalo Park to close out October.
Montana State will travel to Albuquerque, N.M., to open NCAA competition at the NCAA Mountain Region Championships on Nov. 13 as it seeks to qualify for the NCAA Cross Country Championships. The New Mexico-hosted meet will be held at the UNM Championship Course, with the top two teams in each race automatically qualifying for the NCAA Championships.
Following the NCAA Regionals, 14 at-large teams will be selected to join the two automatic qualifiers from each of the nine regional meets as part of the 32-team field at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. A group of 38 individuals will also qualify for the meet, with the top four individual competitors at each regional not on an advancing team earning automatic bids to the meet, along with the two highest placing individuals at a regional who were not automatic qualifiers. The NCAA Cross Country Championships will be held at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 21.
Montana State enters the 2026 cross country season with a 15-member men's roster and an 18-member women's squad. The Bobcat men are set to retain nine members of their 2025 roster, while 11 women will make their return to the team in 2026. Both teams retained four of their five scorers from last season's Big Sky Championships, providing strong experience heading into 2026. Those runners include 2025 All-Big Sky honoree and MSU Bobcat Twilight winner Sam Ells, 2025 Big Sky Freshman of the Year Ryan Harrington, AJ Ringert, and Harvey Cramb on the men's side. On the women's side, Madi Siana, who was the Bobcats' top finisher in four meets last season, will return in 2026 alongside 2025 MSU Bobcat Twilight champion Eva Koos, Claire Rutherford, and Annie Kaul. Other returning Bobcats from the 2025 roster include Eli Boppart, Jackson Fagerlin, Niko Mann, Quinn Newman, and Blaise Snow for the men and Stella Diaz, Samantha Geraets, Sophia Miller, Kalei Moravitz, Niamh Motley, Iris Rogel, and Kaitlyn Skinner for the women.
Montana State's newcomers for the 2026 season include a group of six men and seven women to help round out the roster. The 13 new Bobcats are Tyler Blair, Dylan Hill, Camden Houchin, Kye McAbee, Race Morrell, and Finn Schretenthaler for the men and Gianna Cicora, Caroline Fender, Sofia Ledermann, Addi Lilyquist, Kensey May, Miranda Oblad, and Quinn Stranahan for the women.
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.
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
Sunday, October 31
Friday, October 27
Wednesday, November 13
Wednesday, October 23
