Both the BYU men’s and women’s cross country teams are getting ready to race at the 2025 NCAA Cross Country Championships this weekend in Columbia, Missouri. After strong showings at the NCAA Mountain Regional, both squads earned automatic spots at nationals and now turn their focus to competing against the top teams in the country.
The women’s team finished second at regionals with 47 points. Freshman star Jane Hedengren led the way by winning the individual title with a time of 19:06.6, finishing well ahead of the field.
Riley Chamberlain took third place with a time of 19:52, and Taylor Rohatinsky placed ninth with 20:28. The rest of BYU’s top group packed in tight, with Carmen Alder (16th), Lexi Goff(18th), and Zariel Macchia (19th) helping secure the second-place finish.
With this lineup, the Cougars enter nationals as one of the favorites to win the title for the second straight season.
The men’s team also grabbed second place at the Mountain Regional, scoring 67 points.
Freshman Tayvon Kitchen led BYU with a fifth-place finish in 30:09, followed closely by senior Davin Thompson at sixth. Sophomore Noah Jenkins added a 10th-place finish in 30:15.
Rounding out the scoring were Max Davis (21st) and James Corrigan(25th). Garrett Stanford finished 27th and Dalton Mortensen came in 31st, showing how deep the men’s team is heading into nationals.
Now, BYU turns its attention to the NCAA Championships this Saturday at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course. Both teams hope to take advantage of their strong regional results and compete for high finishes on the national stage.
With talented leaders, solid team depth and confidence from last week’s races, the Cougars are looking to make a big impact as they close out the 2025 season.