EUGENE, Ore. – The Oregon cross country teams will race for a national bid Friday morning at the NCAA West Regional in Sacramento, Calif. The women’s 6K starts at 9 a.m. followed by the men’s first 10K of the season at 10 a.m. The top-two teams in each earn a spot in the 2026 NCAA Championships (Nov. 21) in Terre Haute, Ind.
The entire field, complete with at-large selections, will be announced later in the weekend.
The 2026 NCAA West Region Championships will take place on the Arcade Creek Course at Haggin Oaks GC. Spectator parking will be available—$25 per car—at the American River Collegiate Football Stadium. The shuttle service will begin at 6:30 a.m. and run through 30 minutes after the awards ceremony.
Oregon Entries (can only race up to seven)
M: Benjamin Balazs, Simeon Birnbaum, Evan Bishop, Connor Burns, Tayson Echohawk, Juan Gonzalez, Nick Griggs, Myles Hogan, Evan Jenkins, Xavier Perras-Phaneuf, Aiden Smith
W: Diana Cherotich, Juliet Cherubet, Dalia Frias, Landen LeBlond, Allura Markow, Kendall Martin, Ava Parekh, Sofia Thogersen, Ella Thorsett
Birnbaum, Burns, Cherotich and Smith were all-region performers a season ago for the Ducks. Cherubet, an all-region selection for Texas Tech in 2024, did not run at the NCAA West meet last season.
Ranked Teams in the NCAA West Region
M: #5 Oregon, #19 Stanford, #27 Arizona, RV Washington
W: #11 Oregon, #17 Washington State, #26 Washington, RV Boise State, RV Stanford
Oregon at the NCAA West Region Championships
Team Titles
WOMEN (12): 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2024
MEN (10): 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2025
Individual Titles
Jim Hill (1982-83)
Kathy Hayes (1983)
Penny Graves (1986, ’88)
Annette Hand (1987)
Brad Hudson (1989)
Lucy Nusrala (1991)
Milena Glusac (1994)
Karl Keska (1995-96)
Steve Fein (1999)
Galen Rupp (2007-08)
Alexandra Kosinski (2008)
Jordan Hasay (2010-12)
Edward Cheserek (2013, ’15-16)
With the help of four inside the top 11, the UO men were regional champions last season for their first NCAA West title since 2014. The Women of Oregon finished second a year ago with four runners in the top 12 to secure their national spot.
Last Time Out
Oregon swept the team titles at the Big Ten Championships (Oct. 30) for a second-consecutive season with individual wins for Diana Cherotich and Simeon Birnbaum. The Ducks have won 12 of 14 Big Ten titles since joining the league ahead of the 2024-25 season. Jerry Schumacher was also voted Big Ten Coach of the Year for leading the UO men to the top spot.
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The entire field, complete with at-large selections, will be announced later in the weekend.
The 2026 NCAA West Region Championships will take place on the Arcade Creek Course at Haggin Oaks GC. Spectator parking will be available—$25 per car—at the American River Collegiate Football Stadium. The shuttle service will begin at 6:30 a.m. and run through 30 minutes after the awards ceremony.
Oregon Entries (can only race up to seven)
M: Benjamin Balazs, Simeon Birnbaum, Evan Bishop, Connor Burns, Tayson Echohawk, Juan Gonzalez, Nick Griggs, Myles Hogan, Evan Jenkins, Xavier Perras-Phaneuf, Aiden Smith
W: Diana Cherotich, Juliet Cherubet, Dalia Frias, Landen LeBlond, Allura Markow, Kendall Martin, Ava Parekh, Sofia Thogersen, Ella Thorsett
Birnbaum, Burns, Cherotich and Smith were all-region performers a season ago for the Ducks. Cherubet, an all-region selection for Texas Tech in 2024, did not run at the NCAA West meet last season.
Ranked Teams in the NCAA West Region
M: #5 Oregon, #19 Stanford, #27 Arizona, RV Washington
W: #11 Oregon, #17 Washington State, #26 Washington, RV Boise State, RV Stanford
Oregon at the NCAA West Region Championships
Team Titles
WOMEN (12): 1981, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1995, 2012, 2014, 2018, 2024
MEN (10): 1982, 1983, 1988, 1989, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2014, 2025
Individual Titles
Jim Hill (1982-83)
Kathy Hayes (1983)
Penny Graves (1986, ’88)
Annette Hand (1987)
Brad Hudson (1989)
Lucy Nusrala (1991)
Milena Glusac (1994)
Karl Keska (1995-96)
Steve Fein (1999)
Galen Rupp (2007-08)
Alexandra Kosinski (2008)
Jordan Hasay (2010-12)
Edward Cheserek (2013, ’15-16)
With the help of four inside the top 11, the UO men were regional champions last season for their first NCAA West title since 2014. The Women of Oregon finished second a year ago with four runners in the top 12 to secure their national spot.
Last Time Out
Oregon swept the team titles at the Big Ten Championships (Oct. 30) for a second-consecutive season with individual wins for Diana Cherotich and Simeon Birnbaum. The Ducks have won 12 of 14 Big Ten titles since joining the league ahead of the 2024-25 season. Jerry Schumacher was also voted Big Ten Coach of the Year for leading the UO men to the top spot.
For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
