Nevada Cross Country Heads to Albuquerque for NCAA Mountain Regionals

Nevada Cross Country Heads to Albuquerque for NCAA Mountain Regionals

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Nevada cross country athletes head to Albuquerque on Friday, Nov. 13, to compete for a spot in the NCAA National Championships.

The Mountain Regional Championships take place at the University of New Mexico North Golf Course, serving as the primary gateway to the national stage. The event features a high-stakes format where the top two teams from each region, plus the top four individual finishers not on those teams, earn automatic bids to the championships in Terre Haute, Indiana, scheduled for Nov. 21.

The Mountain Region is widely considered the most competitive area in collegiate distance running. Nevada enters the meet facing a field of perennial national powerhouses, including the host New Mexico, which currently holds the No. 1 men’s and No. 7 women’s rankings. Other heavyweights in the lineup include Colorado (No. 2 men, No. 9 women), Northern Arizona (No. 20 men, No. 6 women), and BYU (No. 6 men, No. 1 women).

The Wolf Pack is looking to surpass last year’s regional results, where the men finished 18th and the women finished 16th.

On the men’s side, Austin Key and Cael Mattioli have led the pack this year, both securing multiple top-three finishes. Last year, Key earned an 83rd-place finish at the regional meet. For the women, Natalie Roberts has been the primary driver of momentum, highlighted by an 8th-place finish at the Charles Bowles Invitational. She follows in the footsteps of Natalia Martino, who placed 76th at last year’s regional competition.

The competition is split into two distinct sessions on Friday morning. The women will compete in the 6K race at 10 a.m. PT, followed by the men’s 10K race at 11 a.m. PT.

Race Category Distance Start Time (PT)
Women’s 6K 10 a.m.
Men’s 10K 11 a.m.

Live results for the event will be made available.

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