ARLINGTON, Texas – Utah Valley graduate student Morgan Nokes and the California Baptist men’s cross country team both punched tickets to the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with stellar finishes in regional meets on Nov. 14.

Nokes, the 2025 Western Athletic Conference (WAC) Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year, ran a 6K time of 20:13.0 to finish in seventh place at the NCAA Mountain Region meet hosted by the University of Utah. Nokes not only earned all-region honors with the placement, but she was the third finisher from a non-AQ team to cross the line and captured an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri on Nov. 22.

Joining Nokes in Missouri as automatic qualifiers will be the CBU men’s team, which placed second in the NCAA West Region 10K meet in Sacramento, California with 95 points. The top four runners for the Lancers each earned all-region recognition, including WAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year Valentin Soca (13th, 29:40.0), Ernesto Ruiz (15th, 29:47.3), Brett Rushman (16th, 29:50.2) and Pedro Marin (21st, 29:56.2).

Other all-region competitors representing the WAC included Dorcas Jepkosgei (ninth, 20:13.2) and Matro Jepkemboi (18th, 20:42.9) from UT Arlington at the NCAA South Central 6K in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Ava Dyck (19th, 20:14.2) and Mahaut Cooren (24th, 20:17.1) from CBU at the NCAA West 6K in Sacramento and Sila Kiplagat (14th, 30:22.3) from Utah Valley at the NCAA Mountain 10K in Utah.

WAC Cross Country Teams At 2025 NCAA Regional Meets

NCAA SOUTH CENTRAL REGION

Women’s 6K
10. UT Arlington, 294
9. Dorcas Jepkosgei, 20:13.2 (All-Region)
18. Matro Jepkemboi, 20:42.9 (All-Region)
87. Linn Adolfsson, 22:31.1
104. Lauren Baur, 22:47.1
106. Abigail Perez, 22:48.9
128. Emilia Mandl, 23:17.2
159. Justine Lusby, 24:30.7

21. Abilene Christian, 554
54. Chloe McLellan, 22:01.5
116. Saylor Stevenson, 23:05.8
138. Hannah Kasper, 23:35.2
147. Hadley Phillips, 23:52.3
158. Audrey Chitwood, 24:24.5
163. Kate Williams, 24:50.1
166. Madison Anderson, 24:58.6

NTS. Tarleton State
77. Kaitlyn Gale, 22:23.5
79. Victoria Guerrero, 22:24.2
139. Carley Thornton, 23:35.8

Men’s 10K
10. UT Arlington, 318
28. Toby Eaton, 30:57.3
66. Angel Sanchez, 32:04.0
67. Mateo Doherty, 32:05.4
74. Kebede Kerlin, 32:09.9
113. Brian Guevara, 33:15.0
135. Rogelio Aguirre, 33:50.7

14. Tarleton State, 366
60. Diego Flores, 31:54.9
63. Mez Barth, 32:00.3
87. Jace Poole, 32:34.2
91. Kellen Frickel, 32:40.8
98. Tyler Hedgepeth, 32:50.6
125. Jerryth Buckingham, 33:36.8
128. Michael Lopez, 33:42.1

15. Abilene Christian, 387
62. Kevin Castruita, 31:57.0
76. Vincent Luffey, 32:12.1
86. Mikhail Fortner, 32:34.1
99. Benjamin Castro, 32:53.3
100. Carlos Cortez, 32:53.4
132. Austin Roberts, 33:44.8

NCAA MOUNTAIN REGION

Women’s 6K
9. Utah Valley, 265
7. Morgan Nokes, 20:13.0 (All-Region, NCAA Auto Bid)
48. Ari Trimble, 21:47.1
55. Artana Nice, 21:59.6
77. Elisabeth Ferell, 22:33.8
80. Natalia Boltz, 22:40.7
87. Paisley Taylor, 22:48.0
112. Julie Moore, 23:59.1

17. Southern Utah, 464
75. Aspen Hacker, 22:32.5
82. Audrey Halas, 22:43.8
89. Nixie Killpack, 22:56.5
114. Taylor Jorgensen, 24:00.5
115. Sammi Stewart, 24:12.2
117. Aldana Navarrete-Lamas, 24:23.1
120. Claire Hoenes, 25:16.0

Men’s 10K
8. Utah Valley, 243
14. Sila Kiplagat, 30:22.3 (All-Region)
50. Jayden Fitzgarrald, 31:36.6
56. Alex Hartshorn, 32:04.2
57. Porter Whitworth, 32:06.2
66. Wyatt Mortenson, 32:23.9
68. Seth Smith, 32:36.1
76. Samuel Nelson, 32:58.0

14. Southern Utah, 408
55. Logan Peel, 32:02.3
65. Jacob Jones, 32:22.2
86. Amit Cohen, 33:17.9
101. Garrison Shindler, 34:07.9
104. Tyler Saunders, 34:23.7
109. Todd Yeates, 34:47.2
DNF. Ezra Nelson

NCAA WEST REGION

Women’s 6K
6. California Baptist, 133
19. Ava Dyck, 20:14.2 (All-Region)
24. Mahaut Cooren, 20:17.1 (All-Region)
27. Helena Mees, 20:21.9
31. Ceyda Pinar, 20:28.3
32. Sarah Schiffman, 20:29.1
35. Emilia Mikszuta, 20:35.2
38. Karolina Bliujute, 20:40.0

20. Utah Tech, 622
98. Makayla Pitcher, 21:43.9
100. Averie Perriton, 21:44.6
101. Hailee Phillips, 21:46.9
137. Adri Bird, 22:10.5
186. Kambrie Wilkinson, 22:38.9
194. Makayla Boulton, 22:54.7

Men’s 10K
2. California Baptist, 95 (NCAA Auto Bid)
13. Valentin Soca, 29:40.0 (All-Region)
15. Ernesto Ruiz, 29:47.3 (All-Region)
16. Brett Rushman, 29:50.2 (All-Region)
21. Pedro Marin, 29:56.9 (All-Region)
30. Gabriel Guzman, 30:06.1
37. Victor Rosas, 30:15.3
44. Finn Anspach, 30:22.1

24. Utah Tech, 657
86. Ryan Hatch, 31:10.7
114. Mordechai Yadegar, 31:41.9
152. Dawson Leffler, 32:26.1
154. Collin Manning, 32:27.3
168. Grayson Peterson, 32:58.4
189. Rex Martin, 33:55.3