University of Arizona
NCAA West Regional
11/11/2026 | Cross Country
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - The Arizona Cross Country program heads to Sacramento, CA, on Friday for the 2026 NCAA West Regional, hosted by Sacramento State at the Arcade Creek Course at Haggin Oaks Golf Course.
The women's 6k will begin at 10 a.m. MST, followed by the men's 10k at 11 a.m. MST. Live Results for the races can be found here. The races will not be streamed live.
Parking
Parking Location: American River College Football Stadium – 4700 College Oak Drive
Cost: $25 per vehicle (all riders will get a wristband that covers event admin & shuttle)
Attendants will accept cash or PayPal. Do not use campus parking kiosks.
Shuttle Hours: 6:30am until 30 min following the conclusion of awards ceremony
Shuttle will operate on a continuous loop between parking and the venue, which is a 7-10 minute drive away
Upon arriving at parking lot, please see the event parking lot stationed in the lot to receive your wristband and parking pass. Please display the parking pass on your dashboard. Failure to doing so may result in a campus citation. There is NO parking available for spectators at the venue. Spectators will be turned around at the parking lot and directed to park at American River College. We encourage all spectators to take into account the time it will take to load and drive to the venue to ensure you arrive on time for the event.
Big 12 Championship
The last time the Wildcats were in action, the men took fifth place, and the women took seventh at the Big 12 Championship in Stillwater, OK. Sophomore Evans Tanui led the men and finished sixth overall in the 8k. Vincent Gwachi, Hanibal Haile, Michael Urbanski and Josphat Meli rounded out the scoring for the men. The men earned 129 points, which was good for a fifth-place finish, the highest finish since 2006 in a conference championship.
Freshman Mercy Chepkemoi led the women and finished ninth overall in the 6k. Praise Chepkemoi, Laina Friedmann, Audra Huempfner and Kennedy Frakes rounded out the scoring for the women. The women earned 219 points, which was good for a seventh-place finish, the highest since 2019 in a conference championship.
NCAA Advancement Structure
The top two teams on both the men's and women's sides will automatically qualify for the 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships. An additional 13 teams nationwide will earn at-large bids. Individuals may also secure championship berths by placing in the top 25 overall and finishing among the top four athletes not on an advancing team.
Other Competing Teams:
Arizona State, Boise State, Cal Poly, California Baptist, Gonzaga, Oregon (Men No. 5, Women No. 11), Oregon State, Portland, Sacramento State, San Francisco, Saint Mary's, Stanford (Men No. 19), UCLA, Washington and Washington State (Women No. 17).
A meet recap will be posted detailing the competition results. Live updates will also be posted to @ArizonaTrack on X.
RUNNERS
MEN
Vincent Gwachi, Hanibal Haile, Ryder James, Josphat Meli, Lawi Ngetich, Evans Tanui, Michael Urbanski, Melt Von Molendorff
WOMEN
Mercy Chepkemoi, Praise Chepkemoi, Kennedy Frakes, Laina Friedmann, Brooklyn Hanania, Audra Huempfner, Kayla Lark, Amelia North
FOLLOW ARIZONA CROSS COUNTRY
Stay connected with Arizona Cross Country throughout the season by following @ArizonaTrack on X and Instagram. For the latest news, results and updates, visit ArizonaWildcats.com.
