Ducks Win Regional Titles to Advance to NCAAs - University of Oregon Athletics

Friday, November 13

Sacramento, CA

9:00 AM

University of Oregon

NCAA West Regional Championships

Photo by: GoDucks.com

11/13/26 | Cross Country

Meet Results

Oregon swept the men’s and women’s NCAA West team titles for the first time since 2014.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – The Oregon cross country teams ran their way to team titles Friday morning at the NCAA West Region Championships in Sacramento, Calif. With the wins, the Ducks earn automatic bids into next week's NCAA Championships. Friday also marked the fourth regional sweep for the UO men and women, and first since 2014.

The 2026 NCAA Cross Country Championships takes place Sat., Nov. 21, in Terre Haute, Ind. The meet will air live on ESPNU with the women's 6K starting at 7:20 a.m. PT followed by the men's 10K at 8:10 a.m. The entire national field including at-large selections will be announced later this weekend.

The UO women placed their first five runners inside the top 16 to secure the regional title for a second time in the past three seasons and for the 13^th time overall. Individually, Cherotich becomes the first UO woman to win an NCAA West title since Jordan Hasay, a three-time regional champion (2010-12) during her storied career.

At the penultimate checkpoint, Cherotich and Mercy Chepkemoi of Arizona were within half a second of one another—16:05.5 to 16:05.9—but the UO sophomore pulled away to win in 18:55.6, a new course record for the Arcade Creek Course at Haggin Oaks GC. The previous record of 19:08.3 was set last year by Washington State's Rosemary Longisa.

The first three women in Friday's race were faster than the old course record including Juliet Cherubet who finished third overall in 19:04.5. Dalia Frias crossed in 19:28.0 to finish fourth in her NCAA regional debut, and to give the Ducks a third scorer inside the top four.

Sofia Thogersen (19:54.0) and Ella Thorsett (19:54.8) were 14^th and 16^th place, respectively, to round out the UO top five. Thogersen moved from 22^nd to 14^th over the final stretch and Thorsett improved on her 31^st-place regional finish from 2024.
Friday marked back-to-back regional titles for the Men of Oregon, good for their 11^th NCAA West title overall. This year's selection will be their 48^th appearance at the national meet.

The UO men placed four runners inside the top 10 and its first six overall inside the top 21. In his debut with the Ducks, Myles Hogan led a 7-8-9-10 finish followed closely by teammates Aiden Smith, Tayson Echohawk and Simeon Birnbaum, respectively. Hogan crossed in 29:18.7 with Smith and Echohawk just behind in 28:18.8 and Birnbaum rounding out the group in 29:19.0.

Big Ten steeplechase champion Benjamin Balazs was the fifth Oregon runner across the finish, clocking in at 29:31.1 for 17^th place overall. Freshman Xavier Perras-Phaneuf (29:39.4) also ran his way to an all-region certificate with his 21^st-place finish.

NCAA West Region Championships | Sacramento, Calif.
WOMEN
1. Oregon – 38 | 1-3-4-14-16
               1. Diana Cherotich – 18:55.6
               3. Juliet Cherubet – 19:04.5
               4. Dalia Frias – 19:28.0
               14. Sofia Thogersen – 19:54.0
               16. Ella Thorsett – 19:54.8
               59. Ava Parekh – 20:49.1
               71. Kendall Martin – 21:04.0

Team Standings (top five)
1. Oregon – 38
2. Washington State – 109
3. Boise State – 112
4. Stanford – 143
5. Washington – 146

MEN
1. Oregon – 51 | 7-8-9-10-17
               7. Myles Hogan – 29:18.7
               8. Aiden Smith – 29:18.8
               9. Tayson Echohawk – 29:18.8
               10. Simeon Birnbaum – 29:19.0
               17. Benjamin Balazs – 29:31.1
               21. Xavier Perras-Phaneuf – 29:39.4
               31. Connor Burns – 29:54.3

Team Standings (top five)
1. Oregon – 51
2. Washington – 110
3. Stanford – 115
4. Portland – 141
5. Arizona – 141

For more news and information about Oregon cross country and track and field, follow @OregonTF on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.