LOGAN, Utah – Utah State's men's and women's cross country teams are splitting their squad on Friday, Oct. 17, with the women heading to Columbia, Missouri, for the Missouri-hosted 2025 Pre-National Invitational and the men traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, for the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational.
 
MEET INFORMATION
2025 Pre-National Invitational
Date: Oct. 17, 2025
Start: Women's 6K @ 9 a.m. (MT)
Site: Columbia, Missouri
Venue: Gans Creek Cross Country Course
Live Results: Prime Time Timing
Live Streaming: SEC Network +
Course Map: 6K Course Map
 
Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational
Date: Oct. 17, 2025
Start: Men's 8K (Championship) @ 11:30 a.m. (MT)
Site: Madison, Wisconsin
Venue: Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course
Live Results: Prime Time Timing
Live Streaming: Runnerspace
Course Map: 8K Course Map
 
DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY ARTIE GULDEN 
"It's been quite a hectic past couple days finding out on Tuesday afternoon that Missouri was changing the pre-national meet from Saturday to Friday. Fortunately, we were able to get everything done to switch travel. Our travel team and assistant coaches did a wonderful job with that situation."
 
"I think the key for both teams is execution. Both races will be very crowded, but I believe if we can execute the race plan well both teams are ready for successful races."
 
MEET DEETS
Utah State will be making its fifth-ever appearance at the Wisconsin Nuttycombe Invitational, with the Aggies' best-ever team (men, 11th) and individual (Camren Todd, ninth) finishes coming in 2022. The USU men competed in Wisconsin twice last season, placing 11th at the Wisconsin Pre-Nationals and 22nd at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. In this year's 32-team field, Utah State will compete against 18 nationally-ranked squads.
 
The 2025 Pre-National Invitational serves as a tune-up for the cross country postseason, culminating with the first NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships held in the state of Missouri. At last season's Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, held in Madison, Wisconsin, the women's team placed 14th out of 28 teams in their division. The 2025 event, hosted by Missouri, will include seven ranked opponents in a field of 39 teams.
 
AGGIES IN THE POLLS
The Utah State men received votes in the USTFCCCA NCAA Division I Cross Country National Coaches' Poll for the first time in 2025, earning four points in the Week 3 rankings. The team also ranked 28th in the FloTrack Division I College XC Rankings.

Both the Aggie men and women were ranked sixth in the Week 3 NCAA DI Cross Country Mountain Regional Rankings. The Aggie women's team has been featured in every regional ranking since 2012, while the men have been ranked in every regional poll since 2016.
 
The men and women were each ranked fourth in the 2025 Mountain West Cross Country Preseason Polls. The Aggie women earned 85 poll points, ranking behind New Mexico (121), Boise State (111) and Colorado State (94). The men's team tied with Air Force with 57 points. New Mexico was picked first with 81 points, followed by Boise State (61) and Wyoming (60).
 
AWARDS SEASON
Juniors Natalie Swain and Shelby Jensen have each claimed MW Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors in 2025. Swain earned the accolades, the second conference award of her career, on September 2, while Jensen claimed her first career MW weekly award on September 9.
 
RUNNING IT BACK
USU's men's cross country team returns 11 runners from the 2024 squad, including five of the seven runners who helped the Aggies to a fourth-place finish and eventual nationals berth at the 2024 NCAA Mountain Regionals. An additional four runners on the roster competed during the 2025 track and field seasons. USU's returnees have combined for 12 MW weekly awards and 15 cross country postseason appearances over their careers. Graduate Logan Garnica earned second-team All-Mountain West honors and the NCAA Elite 90 Award during the 2024 cross country season.
 
On the women's side, 11 runners from the 2024 squad are making their return to the cross country course, with an additional returnee from the 2022 team. Jensen, who earned first-team All-American honors in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, is one of five Aggie women, including senior Sarah Ellis and juniors Camilla McKinstry, Brianne Smith and Swain, who bring cross country postseason experience to the 2025 roster.
 
LAST MEET
Utah State's women's team claimed the 5K team title with an overall score of 41 points, while the men finished fourth with 83 points, at the USU-hosted Steve T. Reeder Memorial Invitational at Steve and Dona Reeder Cross Country Course. Sophomore Alayna Wardle led the Aggie women with a seventh-place time of 19:03.3 and junior Drew Hogan finished in eighth place in the men's 7K race with a time of 21:37.2.
 
FOLLOW ALONG
Fans can follow the Utah State cross country programs on X at USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at USUTF_XC. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on X at USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.
 
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