BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Washington University cross country program opens the 2026 season as the conference favorites, with the men's and women's program topping the 2026 GNAC Preseason Coaches Poll.

 

Winners of four consecutive team championships on both the women's and men's side, WWU took home all 10 first-place votes in each gender to top the polls with 100 points apiece. The Vikings will look to become the second GNAC cross country program to win five consecutive conference titles with the GNAC Championships held November 7 at Ash Creek Preserve in Monmouth, Oregon.

 

In the women's poll, Central Washington is listed No. 2 behind the Vikings with 82 points, followed closely by No. 3 Simon Fraser (80), Alaska Anchorage (76) and Seattle Pacific (75).

 

The Viking men are followed by Alaska Anchorage and Northwest Nazarene which are tied for second with 83 poll points, fourth-place Western Oregon (72) and fifth-place Simon Fraser (56).

 

WWU is scheduled to open the 2026 season on Saturday, September 26 hosting the Bill Roe Classic at Hovander Park in Ferndale. The Vikings will host another home meet Saturday, October 24 with the WWU Padden Invitational at Lake Padden in Bellingham.

 

The Vikings enter the season ranked in the top six in the West Region, with the men listed No. 2 and women No. 6. Western qualified both teams for nationals in 2025 with the men finishing 9th and women 18th. Ben Stensland, who was voted GNAC Coach of the Year in 2023-25, returns for his fourth season in charge of the program with assistant coaches T.J. Garlatz and Haley Stensland playing a pivotal role in coaching of the distance runners.

 

The 2026 GNAC Cross Country Championships are set for November 7 in Monmouth, Oregon on the Ash Creek Preserve Course, with All 10 GNAC women's and men's cross country teams participating in the conference championship meet. The NCAA West Regional is slated for November 21 in Sacramento, California (Arcade Creek XC Course) and the national championships will be held December 4 at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kansas.

 

Here is a look at the 2026 GNAC Cross Country Preseason Polls:

 

 

The Vikings are heavily favored to repeat, returning four all-conference performers and eight total runners who finished in the top half of last year's championship field. Sten Brakstad was the 2025 GNAC runner-up (24:17.6), before going on to take 17th at the regional championship and 88th at the national championship. Jonah Billings posted his first all-conference performance in fourth place (24:26.7) and was the team's top performer at regionals in eighth place. Jared Alderfer returns to the squad after placing ninth last year (24:40.0), marking his second consecutive all-conference effort. George Fernandez was right behind in 10th place in 2025 (24:40.2) to pick up his first cross country all-conference accolade. WWU's other key returners this fall are Eduardo Tobon Sanchez who was 15th (24:53.6), Spencer Zeljak who was 16th (24:55.2), Cale O'Day who was 21st (25:04.9) and Leaf McQuillen who took 33rd (25:39.4).

 

The Viking women have six runners back on their roster who each finished in the top-32 at last year's conference meet, including a pair of all-conference returners. Senior Ella Edens finished in fourth place (21:35.8) last fall, marking her second straight all-conference performance and third time finishing in the top-15 at the event. Danielle McLain was another all-conference finisher in seventh place (21:40.1), while Jill Philbin took 17th (21:52.5), Cecilia Villagomez Edvalson was 23rd (22:01.5), Josephine Stevenson was 28th (22:11.7) and Olivia Friedrich took 32nd (22:26.9). 

 

Fans can follow WWU Cross Country online at WWUVikings.com/XC, and via social media Instagram (@WWUTFXC) and Facebook (@WWUTFXC).