Cole Stencel Wins MIAC Individual Cross Country Championship

Cole Stencel Wins MIAC Individual Cross Country Championship

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Senior Cole Stencel won the 2026 MIAC individual cross country championship on Oct. 31, marking the first time a Saint John’s runner has taken the title since 2008.

The victory at St. Olaf’s campus in Northfield saw Stencel finish with a time of 24:56.1, beating the runner-up by 13 seconds, Saint John’s University Athletics reported. This performance helped the Johnnies secure a third-place team finish out of 11 competing programs, totaling 92 points behind host St. Olaf and Carleton.

Earlier this month, he set a new eight-kilometer program record during the George Oja Invitational on Oct. 17, clocking a time of 23:55 in Salem, Oregon.

“It’s been really satisfying because it feels like all the hard work that I’ve put in – not just this season, but for all four of the years I’ve been here – has started to pay off,” Stencel told Saint John’s University Athletics.

“I’ve found as long as I’m able to stay healthy, I can run pretty well. So that’s been a big focus for me,” Stencel said.

Coach Maxwell Kuzara said that Stencel’s success stems from a meticulous attention to detail and a focus on incremental progress rather than just the final result.

“Cole is very process-oriented rather than outcome-oriented. He opens his mind to his biggest dreams, then focuses on the daily steps needed to get there. In a lot of ways, his performances and accomplishments have helped take our program to a new level, but his contributions have gone far beyond that.”

The Johnnies are now preparing for the NCAA North Regional, which begins at noon on Saturday, Nov. 14, at St. Olaf. Seven runners are scheduled to compete in Northfield, with five contributing to the team score.

Athlete Class Hometown/Affiliation
Cole Stencel Senior Mapleton, Minn.
Vincent Kaluza Senior Cold Spring, Minn.
Jacob Malecha Senior Lonsdale, Minn.
Quinn Carroll Freshman West Fargo, N.D.
Max McCoy Senior Bennington, Neb.

Stencel is aiming for his second appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships. Last year, he finished 23rd out of 214 runners at the regional meet, earning an All-Region distinction.

The stakes for the upcoming regional are high, as the champion of each of the 10 regional meets receives an automatic bid to the national championship. Another 70 individuals who are not part of a qualifying team can earn automatic selection based on their finishing position.

Outside of distance running, Stencel is a senior at Saint John’s.

Stencel’s impact on the Saint John’s program extends into leadership and team culture.

“Here, I was able to work with people who really pushed me. That was scary at the start. But it’s ended up helping me a lot,” Stencel said.

The field for the NCAA North Region includes 34 teams from various conferences, including the Midwest Conference and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. The national championship meet is scheduled to take place on Nov. 21 at Carleton’s Bill Huyck Championship Course.

Stencel’s goal for the regional is to build on his previous experience and compete more aggressively within the top tier of runners.

“If I qualify this time, my goal will be to perform better and compete against some of the people in that top group,” Stencel said.

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