TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- No. 2 BYU will head to the LaVern Gibson Championship cross country course to contend in the Pre-Nationals race on Friday, Oct. 16 at 8:00 a.m. MDT.
After gaining its second win of the season at the Cowboy Jamboree and moving to the No. 2 spot on the USTFCCCA coaches' poll, BYU is set to compete against No. 1 NC State and No. 7 Notre Dame. NC State is the reigning national champion, and this will be the first time this year that the Cougars, as the national runners-up, will go head-to-head against the Wolfpack.
PRE-NATS THIS WEEK 📺 Watch on RunnerSpace https://t.co/qJWOHZ2nAy
— BYU Track & Field/Cross Country (@BYUTFXC) October 12, 2026
Along with 64 other women's teams, BYU will get its first look at the LaVern Gibson Championship cross country course, the same grass the team hopes to run on at the NCAA Championships in November.
Leading the Cougars will be senior Jenna Hutchins, who placed third and fifth in the two opening meets of the season. She will be joined by Lexi Goff-Thompson, Nelah Roberts, Taylor Lovell and Karrie Baloga, who also all finished in the top 10 at the UVU Invitational and the Cowboy Jamboree.
BYU veterans Vanessa Alder, Tessa Buswell, Emerald Kehr, Zariel Macchia and Addie Meldrum will also be wearing royal this Friday, as well as freshmen Lily Alder, Millie Bayles, Lilly Beshears and Macy Wingard.
The Pre-Nationals event will be streamed on RunnerSpace, and Midwest Timing will provide the live results. The women's 6k blue race will begin at 8:00 a.m. MDT and the women's 6k white race will begin at 9:20 a.m. MDT.