Championship Central
FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 30, 2025) – Championship Season is upon us, and it will officially begin on Saturday, November 1 when the 2025 Big Sky Conference Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships are set to be ran in Bozeman, Montana.
This year’s meet is hosted by Montana State University for the first time since 2013.
Action is scheduled to start at 11 a.m. MT at Bridger Creek Golf Course, and stream live on ESPN+ for fans at home to enjoy.
No. 7 Northern Arizona Men
Fans in Bozeman will get to see the No. 7 team in the country on Saturday, when the Northern Arizona Lumberjack men toe the start line. The ‘Jacks jumped six spots up the USTFCCCA’s National Poll after a fourth place finish at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational. In that race the ‘Jacks were paced by Colin Shalman, who finished in 18
th amongst a stacked field. NAU’s resume also features a team victory in the George Kyte Classic and an eighth-place finish at the Gans Creek Classic.
No. 17 Northern Arizona Women
The Lumberjack women enter this meet ranked No. 17 in the nation and had the highlight of their season at the Gans Creek Classic with a runner-up team finish. They finished behind only Florida in that meet and were led by a 12
th place finish from Agnes McTighe. NAU also secured a team victory at the George Kyte Classic to begin their season in August.
Returning National Championship Qualifiers
A pair of individuals that qualified for the 2024 NCAA National Championship will be making their return to the Big Sky Conference Championship. On the men’s side, Weber State’s Peter Visser will run for the Wildcats and on the women’s side Regina Mpigachai returns for the Bears of Northern Colorado. At NCAA’s last season, Mpigachai finished 85
th and Visser took 136
th.
Regional Rankings
In the USTFCCCA Regional Rankings, the Big Sky has four teams featured on the men’s side. Northern Arizona sits at No. 3 in the NCAA Mountain Region, followed by No. 8 Weber State, No. 9 Montana State and No. 12 Idaho State
On the women’s side, the Lumberjacks are ranked No. 5 in the Mountain Region, followed by No. 11 Idaho State, No. 12 Weber State and No. 14 Montana State.
Active Championship Streaks
The Lumberjacks are no strangers to winning Big Sky titles, and both men’s and women’s programs currently hold impressive active winning streaks.
Northern Arizona’s women are seeking their seventh-consecutive Big Sky Conference title, dating back to 2019. The Lumberjacks have also featured the last six Big Sky Individual Champions. The last team to dethrone Northern Arizona was Southern Utah in 2018. The last current Big Sky member to beat NAU was Weber State in 2015.
On the men’s side, the ‘Jacks are looking for a fifth-consecutive team title. Their winning streak dates back to 2021. Individually, the Lumberjacks have featured the last nine Big Sky champions dating back to 2016. The last team to knock off NAU on the men’s side was Southern Utah when the 2020 championship was on the line. In terms of current members, the last team to beat the Lumberjacks was Weber State in 2006.
Streaming Live
For the third-consecutive year, the Big Sky Conference Cross Country Championships will stream live on ESPN+ for fans that cannot attend in person.
Follow Us
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on X, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, YouTube and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated to stay connected.