LOGAN, UT – Utah State's cross country teams enter the second half of their regular season campaign as they head north for Idaho State's Bengal Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 2. The men will run the 8k race at 11:00 a.m., followed by the women's 5k at noon.
 
MEET INFORMATION
Event: Bengal Invitational
Date: Oct. 2, 2026
Start: Men's 8K @ 11:00 a.m. (MT); Women's 5K @ Noon (MT)
Site: Pocatello, Idaho
Venue: Centennial Cross Country Course
Live Results: ChronoTrack
Course Map: Course Map
Livestream: ESPN +
 
DIRECTOR OF TRACK & FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY ARTIE GULDEN
"This will be a smaller meet, which will give our athletes the chance to really work together in a group. I am looking forward to seeing what they can do individually and collectively."
 
LAST TIME IN POKY
The Aggies have a strong reputation competing in Pocatello, with the men's and women's squads winning each of their last two trips in 2021 and 2022. The men's team also captured individual titles both years and locked out the top three spots in 2022, with then-freshman LJ Floyd crossing as the third-place finisher.
 
IN THE RANKINGS
The Aggie men enter their second week ranked in the USTFCCCA National Coaches Poll, tied in the No. 28 spot with the University of Missouri with 25 votes apiece. They remain sixth overall in the Mountain Regional standings, while the women's team is eighth in the leaderboards.

LAST RACE
At last weekend's Gans Creek Classic, senior Natalie Swain paced the Aggies for the second time this season, crossing the line 20^th to anchor the team's 10th-place finish. The day was underscored by personal bests from Swain, junior Ava Trimble, and sophomore Hailey Shakespear, who each lowered their previous mark in the 6k.
 
The week prior, the men's team raced the 8k at the John McNichols Invitational facing a competitive field of 14 ranked opponents and finishing ahead of four. The race was highlighted by junior Garrett Woodhouse, who placed 33^rd to lift the Aggies to a 13th-place team result.   
 
STACKING WINS
Utah State has had an impressive start to the 2026 season, securing three individual and two team wins in a single weekend. Both squads won the home-hosted Utah State Alumni Challenge, led by Swain and Jedidiah Megargel in their respective races. That same weekend, senior Joshua McKee stood atop the podium at the Mike Baumer XC Classic, winning the 5K.
 
FOLLOW
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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