NAU Cross Country Earns Dual Third-Place Finishes at Mountain Regional

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Nov. 14, 2025) - The Northern Arizona men's and women's cross country teams delivered composed, disciplined efforts Friday morning at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships, hosted by the University of Utah at the Regional Athletic Complex. Against one of the deepest regions in the nation, both Lumberjack squads secured third-place team finishes, positioning themselves firmly in the national conversation ahead of next week's NCAA Championships.

The NAU men placed third overall with 82 points, trailing only New Mexico (37) and BYU (67) while finishing well ahead of Colorado (114) and Air Force (127). The Lumberjacks executed one of the tightest packs in the field, posting a 23-second spread among their scoring five, and registering a 30:34 team average over 10 kilometers.

• 11th, All-Region honors – Colin Sahlman – 30:20.2

• 15th, All-Region honors – Manny Perez – 30:24.5

• 17th, All-Region honors – Cael Grotenhuis – 30:37.0

• 19th, All-Region honors – Erik Le Roux – 30:42.2

• 20th, All-Region honors – Ethan Godsey – 30:43.1

• (Displacement: Keyes 24th, All-Region honors, Washburn 45th)

Sahlman led the way in 30:20.2, opening the Lumberjack scoring with yet another postseason top-15. Perez and Grotenhuis followed in close succession, keeping NAU fully in the mix through 5K before the group moved as a unit over the final miles. Le Roux and Godsey closed out the scoring in the top-20, giving NAU five inside the first 20 finishers.

Northern Arizona's women nearly matched the men's performance, scoring 76 points for third place behind New Mexico (45) and BYU (47). NAU finished ahead of Colorado (106) and Utah (120).

• 4th, All-Region honors – Hayley Burns – 20:01.5

• 6th, All-Region honors– Ava Mitchell – 20:12.4

• 17th, All-Region honors – Agnes McTighe – 20:49.1

• 22nd, All-Region honors – Keira Moore – 21:00.5

• 27th – Kiki Vaughn – 21:13.5

• (Displacement: Stutzman 37th, Moore N. 39th)

Burns produced her best regional finish yet, crossing fourth overall in 20:01.5 to lead the women's squad. Mitchell followed immediately in sixth. McTighe, Moore, and Vaughn closed the scoring, all inside the top 30, giving NAU the depth necessary to separate from Colorado and Utah.

"Today was a really strong showing on both sides,"  Head Coach Jarred Cornfield said. "The men and women both put together super solid team races, and the execution was exactly what we needed. We stayed composed, we competed the right way, and we got the job done to qualify for the NCAA Championships next week. We're healthy, we're trending in the right direction, and I'm really pleased with the effort from both groups."

With both teams securing top-three regional finishes in one of the nation's toughest qualifiers, Northern Arizona is well-positioned for NCAA Championship berths. Official at-large selections will be announced Saturday, November 15th, by the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Committee.

The Lumberjacks now shift focus to the national stage, where both squads aim to convert season-long momentum into statement performances.

Results can be found here.
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