FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (September 17, 2026) – Northern Arizona will travel to Terre Haute, Ind., to compete in the John McNichols Invitational on Sept. 19. The meet will be the Lumberjacks' first race on the road this season and serves as a preview of the course that will host the 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships later this fall.
Indiana State will host the invitational at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. The women's 6K Championship race will begin at 6:30 a.m. MST, followed by the men's 8K Championship at 7:05 a.m. MST The women's Open 6K will begin at 7:40 a.m. MST, with the men's Open 8K following at 8:15 a.m. MST Northern Arizona will compete in all four races.
"We'll be racing more athletes than we did at our season opener at the George Kyte Classic. I'm excited to see lots of newcomers compete for the first time on the road." said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field
Jarred Cornfield, noting his excitement to get on the road this season. "We're very excited about the depth in our programs."
"It's been several years since the NCAA meet was contested there, so we're excited to get on it and get familiar with this wonderful course that'll host the NCAA Championships in just a couple of months. We can't wait to see other great competition and be tested in this early season when we're training a lot and continuing to move forward toward the championship season," Cornfield added.
Numerous nationally ranked programs will be competing in the field.
The women's race will feature returners
Ava Mitchell,
Emma Stutzman,
Kiki Vaughn and
Payton Godsey, who will line up alongside several newcomers as they look to continue their strong starts to the season. The Lumberjacks will also line up four freshmen as they continue their seasons in the NAU jersey and showcase the program's depth at a young age. Newcomers
Addy Ritzenhein and
Elsa Sundqvist will make their debut in the Northern Arizona jersey.
On the men's side, returners
Emmanuel Perez,
Ethan Godsey,
Aidan Puffer and
Erik Le Roux will compete alongside several newcomers. The men's side will also feature four freshmen who are eager to compete on the road.
Derebe Ayele will make his Northern Arizona cross country debut for the first time after joining the team this past track season.
Northern Arizona has developed a strong team featuring experienced returners and excited newcomers, both freshmen and transfers eager to make an impact on the Lumberjacks team and culture. The newcomers include both American and international student-athletes.
Later this fall, the Lumberjacks will look to earn a spot at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, beginning with the Big Sky Championships at home at Buffalo Park before traveling to Albuquerque for the NCAA Mountain Region Cross Country Championships.
Fans can follow live results through Midwest Timing at this link
https://mwt.live/meets/77634, while RunnerSpace will broadcast this year's meet.
Stay up to date with Northern Arizona cross country by following the Lumberjacks on
X and
Instagram.
