Program Record Falls As Bears Shine At Big Sky Championships

Saturday, November 1

Bozeman, Mont.

All Day

University of Northern Colorado

Big Sky Conference Championships

11/1/2025 5:13:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country

By: Brooke Richards, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

BOZEMAN, Mont. – Northern Colorado cross country closed out its conference season in record-breaking fashion on Saturday at the Big Sky Championships, hosted by Montana State at Bridger Creek Golf Course. Senior Regina Mpigachai led the charge with a historic performance, setting a new program record in the women's 5K with a time of 16:33.60, earning fifth place overall and a spot at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships.

Mpigachai's time broke the previous school mark and continued her stellar senior campaign. She was joined in the top 30 by freshman Sabina Stroia, who placed 25th in 17:41.00, capping an impressive Big Sky debut and also qualifying for regionals.

Rounding out the women's top five were Brooke Elfert (54th, 18:21.60), Claire Nowels (55th, 18:22.60), and Ania Magdesian (65th, 18:41.00), as Northern Colorado finished tied for sixth overall with 186 points, matching Sacramento State in the team standings.

On the men's side, junior Logan Gullet punched his ticket to regionals with a standout 8K effort, finishing 22nd in 25:12.40. Noah Osmond (52nd, 26:26.60), Noah Mayoral De Anza (71st, 27:52.90), Aaron Roll (73rd, 27:54.50), and Hayden Hyman (79th, 28:38.60) completed the scoring for UNC, which placed ninth with 247 points.

Following the meet, Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Wayne Angel praised both programs for their progress and performances throughout the season.

"I am proud of how our men's and women's team competed today," Angel said. "The women ran especially well with several personal bests, and both programs showed the progress we've been building toward all season. Regina led the way with a new school record of 16:33 for the highest finish ever by a UNC athlete. We also had two more athletes qualify for the NCAA Regionals — Logan Gullett ran a PR of 25:09 finishing 22nd in the 8K, and Sabina Stroia ran 17:41 finishing 25th in the 5K. It's been a solid season for both teams. I'm looking forward to seeing how all three will do in Salt Lake City in two weeks."

Northern Arizona swept both team titles for the fifth straight year, showcasing the depth of the nationally ranked program.

Next up, the Bears will head to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships on November 15, where Mpigachai, Stroia, and Gullett will represent Northern Colorado among the region's elite.

FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of UNC Athletics, check out the official homepage at uncbears.com. Follow the cross country and track and field teams on X (formerly Twitter) (@UNC_BearsTFXC), and Instagram (@UNC_BearsXCTF).