- Utah State's men and women swept team titles at the Alumni Challenge and the Reeder Memorial Invitational, ran the Pre-National Invitational on Oct. 16 and now head to their first Pac-12 Championship on Oct. 30 in Boise.
- Utah State Men's Cross Country, Utah State Women's Cross Country connect back to Utah State University and the wider track & field picture.
- The story is backed by 6 sources and a visible last-verified date.
October 18, 2026
October 18, 2026
4 min / 962 words
6 official links
Utah State cross country finished its regular season on Friday, October 16, at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational in Terre Haute, Indiana, and next heads to Boise, Idaho, for the Pac-12 Conference Championship on Friday, October 30. USU's October 16 release calls it the Aggies' first run in the Pac-12 Conference Championship. Utah State competed in the Mountain West in 2025, and the move changes the meet that anchors both seasons. The Utah State men's cross country team page and the women's team page link the official roster and schedule.
One coach, two teams
Artie Gulden is listed as the Director of Track & Field and Cross Country, with Brennan Benson as assistant coach and director of operations, and the men and women share one roster page and one schedule page. The Aggies run their home meets at the Steve and Dona Reeder Cross Country Course in Logan. The roster lists 14 men and 16 women.
The men: three wins in four team races
The men opened with a team win at the Utah State Alumni Challenge in Logan on September 5, scoring 25 points to finish first of four teams. Senior Jedidiah Megargel won the men's 7K in 20:47.84, Walker Cole was third in 21:01.39 and Joshua Armstrong fourth in 21:04.43. Ten Aggies made their cross country debuts that day, including transfer Omar Alsaidi, Tayshaun Ogomo and Aidan Neal. The day before, Joshua McKee won the 5K at the Mike Baumer XC Classic in Dayton, Ohio, in a personal-best 15:02.70.
At the John McNichols Invitational in Terre Haute on September 19, the men were 13th of 34 teams with 328 points. They won the Bengal Invitational in Pocatello on October 2 with 15 points, first of three teams, and won the Steve T. Reeder Memorial Invitational in Logan on October 9 by taking the top four places for 20 points. Stockton Stevens, listed on the roster as a sophomore from Twin Falls, Idaho, won in a personal-best 21:21.1. Logan Garnica was second in 21:29.5, Ogomo third in 21:32.5 and Bryce Hill fourth in 21:36.1.
On October 16 at the Pre-National Invitational, the men placed 13th of 44 teams with 342 points and were the top Mountain Region team, ahead of No. 26 Utah Valley. Josh Armstrong, listed on the roster as a senior from La Verkin, Utah, led the Aggies for the first time this season, finishing 41st in 23:52.4, about a minute faster than his previous time on the course. Senior Joseph McKee ran a season-best 24:03.2 in 61st, Cole was 76th in 24:10.5 and Garrett Woodhouse was 85th in 24:12.9.
The women: top-six sweep to open, a win in Logan to follow
The women's season opened with a lockout. On September 5 the Aggies took the top six places at the Alumni Challenge for the minimum 15 points, first of three teams. Senior Natalie Swain won the 5K in 17:59.42 with a 14-second margin, followed by Ava Trimble (18:13.79), Brie Smith (18:19.24), Hailey Shakespear (18:19.59), Shelby Jensen (18:19.89) and freshman Lucy Boone (18:23.98).
At the Gans Creek Classic in Columbia, Missouri, on September 25, the women were 10th of 29 teams with 291 points. They were second of three at the Bengal Invitational on October 2 with 52 points, and on October 9 they won the Reeder Memorial Invitational with 30 points, ahead of Snow College (46) and Northern Colorado (47). Sarah Ellis, listed as a graduate on the roster, won the 5K in 18:09.5, more than 40 seconds clear, for her first career race win. Freshman Addy Duellman was second in a personal-best 18:53.3 and Taylor Palmer was fifth in 19:13.7.
The women ran the 6K at the Pre-National Invitational and scored 562 points to place 21st of 43 teams. No. 2 BYU, with 84 points, edged No. 1 NC State, with 88, for the team title. Swain led the Aggies for the third time this season, 50th in 20:22.9. Smith was 94th in 20:51.8, Ellis 100th in 20:54.4 in her first 6K of the season, Trimble 120th and Shakespear 216th as the scoring five.
Last year's results as a baseline
The 2025 schedule page shows where the Aggies stood in the Mountain West. The men were fifth of 10 teams with 117 points at the Mountain West Championships in Fresno on October 31 and sixth of 19 with 186 points at the NCAA Mountain Regionals in Taylorsville on November 14. The women were fourth of 12 with 104 points at the same conference meet and seventh of 19 with 206 points at the regional. Earlier in the fall the men were second of 40 teams at the Paul Short Run with 123 points, and the women were fifth of 40 with 214.
What comes next
The Pac-12 Championships are on October 30 in Boise. The NCAA Mountain Regionals follow on November 13 in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the NCAA Championships on November 21 in Terre Haute. The NCAA Championships return the Aggies to Terre Haute, where both teams ran the Pre-National Invitational on October 16. More Utah State content is on the track and field page.
Key facts:
- Coach: Artie Gulden, Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
- Conference: Pac-12 (first Pac-12 Championship Oct. 30 in Boise); Mountain West in 2025
- Men: first at the Alumni Challenge (25 points), first at Bengal (15), first at the Reeder Memorial (20), 13th of 44 at the Pre-National (342)
- Women: first at the Alumni Challenge (15 points), first at the Reeder Memorial (30), 21st of 43 at the Pre-National (562)
- Oct. 9 individual winners: Stockton Stevens (men, 21:21.1) and Sarah Ellis (women, 18:09.5)
- Pre-National leaders: Josh Armstrong 41st (23:52.4) and Natalie Swain 50th (20:22.9)
- Remaining dates: Pac-12 Championships Oct. 30; NCAA Mountain Regionals Nov. 13; NCAA Championships Nov. 21