Live Results | Watch Live (ESPN+) | Championship Program
NEW YORK – On Friday, Oct. 30, the 2026 BIG EAST Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships presented by JEEP will take place at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va.
The women's 6K championship race is set to begin at 10:00 a.m. ET. At 10:50 a.m. ET, the men's 8K race will start, followed by an awards presentation at 11:40 a.m. ET. The event will stream live on ESPN+, with Justin Corrigan calling the action.
The Georgetown women and Butler men look to defend their conference crowns from a season ago. On the women's side, the Hoyas seek to become the first program in BIG EAST history to capture seven consecutive conference cross country crowns. For the men, the 2025 championship for the Bulldogs was their fourth BIG EAST title over a six-year span.
Entering Friday's championship, several BIG EAST teams are featured on the USTFCCCA national polls. On the women's poll, Providence ranks No. 30. For the men, Georgetown leads the way at No. 11, followed by Villanova at No. 12 and Butler at No. 26. The BIG EAST is one of five conferences with at least two men's cross country teams ranked among the nation's top 15 and is one of six leagues with three teams in the top 30.
Admission and parking for the 2026 BIG EAST Cross Country Championship at Pole Green Park is free.
Women’s Preview:
Georgetown’s pursuit of a seventh straight title would set a new standard in BIG EAST cross country history. Entering the 2026 championship, only the Hoyas (2020-25) and Villanova (1989-94) had ever won six straight team titles. Throughout the 2026 season, the Hoyas spent time ranked on the USTFCCCA national poll and are currently No. 8 on the Mid-Atlantic regional poll.
Individually, Barrett Justema is Georgetown’s top returning finisher from a year ago, when she was third at BIG EAST's in a time of 19:57.2 The grad student was the top finisher for the Hoyas at the Nuttycombe Invitational on Oct. 9. Charlotte Bell was also a top 10 finisher at the conference championship last year.
Villanova finished as runner-up at the 2025 BIG EAST Championship and is currently ranked No. 4 on the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic poll. Tilly O'Connor leads the way for the Wildcats, finishing as the team's top runner in each of her last six meets, dating back to last season. She was 37th at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, clocking 20:10.0 for the 6K race as Villanova finished ninth. O'Connor was the 2025 BIG EAST runner-up.
Providence enters Friday's championship ranked No. 30 on the USTFCCCA national poll and first on the Northeast regional rankings. The Friars placed third at BIG EAST's a season ago, led by Anna Gardiner's sixth place finish. This fall, the junior has been recognized as the BIG EAST's Female Athlete of the Week twice and finished 30th at the Nuttycombe Invitational in a time of 19:59.6. The Friars return two other runners - Gabby Schmidt (11th) and Kate Currie (12th) - who finished among the top 15 at last year's BIG EAST championship.
UConn finished fourth at the 2025 BIG EAST Championship and currently rank No. 4 on the USTFCCCA Northeast regional poll. The Huskies have been led throughout the fall by Sascha Letica, who finished 13th at the BIG EAST meet a season ago. UConn also features Anique Poulin, who earned BIG EAST Female Athlete of the Week honors on Sept. 15 after winning the Hartford Invitational.
Xavier finished fifth at last year's conference championship and has been led by Eilee Ossont and Grace McKay during the 2026 season. Ossont was the Musketeers' top finisher at the Bradley Pink Classic, while McKay led the way at the Louisville Cross Country Classic, helping Xavier finish fifth as a team.
Butler ranks 12th on the USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional poll and placed sixth at BIG EAST's last season. The Bulldogs' Hannah Moore has been the top finisher in all three competitions this fall and earned BIG EAST Athlete of the Week honors following her Top 50 finish at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational earlier this month.
Creighton enters the 2026 BIG EAST Women’s Cross Country Championship looking to build on last season’s seventh place finish. The Bluejays have been led by Tatum Neilson and Taylor Rorick - both finishing among the top 10 at the Platte River Rumble on Oct. 16, where Creighton placed second as a team.
DePaul finished eighth at the BIG EAST Championship last year. The Blue Demons placed second at the National Catholic Championship behind Kalina Urbaniak, who finished ninth. DePaul also features Isabella Orozco and Tessa Roe, who performed well at the Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 16.
Seton Hall looks to improve on its ninth place conference finish from 2025. Paige Quigley has led the Pirates throughout the fall, including her second place finish at the Temple Owl Invitational on Sept. 4.
Marquette heads into the conference championship looking to improve on last year's 10th place finish. The Golden Eagles captured the team title at the Jim Allen Classic, led by Sadie Kibelstis' first place finish. Isabelle Wiebe led the squad the at Panorama Farms Invitational.
St. John’s has been led by Naiara Garcia-Moreno, who captured the individual title at the Metropolitan Championship with a personal-best 5K time of 17:44.60. The Red Storm finished in 11th place at last year's 2025 BIG EAST Championship.
Men’s Preview:
Since 2020,
Butler has claimed four BIG EAST Cross Country titles. The Bulldogs enter Friday's race ranked No. 26 on the USTFCCCA national poll. Last year, the Bulldogs placed three runners in the top five and all five scoring finishers among the top 12.
William Zegarski, who captured the 2025 BIG EAST individual championship, returns to defend his title. This fall, Zegarski has earned BIG EAST weekly honors twice, highlighted by a Top 20 finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational earlier this month. He is poised to become the first Butler runner to win multiple BIG EAST men's cross country individual championships. Brendan Thomas - 12th at last year's championship for the Dawgs - is set to make his 2026 debut at Pole Green Park on Friday.
Georgetown ranks No. 11 on the USTFCCCA national poll. The Hoyas shined at the Nuttycombe Invitational, placing seventh as a team in an elite field, thanks to top 30 finishes by grad transfer Joseph O'Brien and senior Birhanu Harriman. Harriman placed third overall at the 2025 BIG EAST Championship. Georgetown has captured 10 BIG EAST men's cross country championships, including a string of four straight team titles from 2015-18.
Villanova enters the BIG EAST Championship ranking 12th on the national poll. Nova earned a second place team finish at Pre-Nationals, with a 1-5 spread of less than 30 seconds. Bailey Habler - a two-time BIG EAST weekly award winner - had led the way for Nova this fall, placing fifth at the Meadows Challenge and sixth at Pre-Nats. He finished fourth at the 2025 conference championship. The Wildcats have hoisted the team trophy on nine occasions all-time.
Providence placed fourth at the 2025 BIG EAST Championship and is currently ranked No. 5 on the USTFCCCA Northeast regional poll. Cormac Dixon has been the Friars' top finisher three times this season and was the BIG EAST Athlete of the Week on Sept. 8. He placed 21st at the conference championship a season ago. PC owns 15 BIG EAST team titles and 11 individual crowns all-time.
DePaul earned a fifth place finish at BIG EAST's last season, led by Mohamed Abdullahi's 11th place finish. He returns, along with brothers Alex and Mason Krieg, who have led the way for the Blue Demons throughout the 2026 regular season.
Creighton took sixth place last year at the BIG EAST championship. Tommy Murray has led the Bluejays throughout the 2026 regular season, winning the Briar Cliff Invitational and the Platte River Rumble Collegiate races.
Xavier looks to improve on last season’s seventh place BIG EAST championship finish, returning four of its top six finishers from 2025. The Musketeers were led by Michael Sauer at the Louisville Cross Country Classic.
Marquette placed five runners in the top nine en route to the team title at the Jim Allen Classic. Dylan Riniker has paced Marquette throughout the season, finishing third at the Jim Allen and fifth at the Phoenix Open. The Golden Eagles were eighth at BIG EAST's last year.
Seton Hall's Aakash Arumugam and Joseph Butler have led the way this fall, helping guide the Pirates to a third-place finish at the Temple Invitational and a seventh-place showing at the Jasper Fall Invitational. The Hall was ninth at the 2025 BIG EAST Championship.