University of Northern Colorado Athletics
Friday, September 4
Cheyenne, Wyo.
6 p.m. MT
University of Northern Colorado
at
Wyoming Invite
UNC Opens Cross Country Season at Wyoming Invite
9/4/2026 7:14:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
CHEYENNE, Wyo. - Northern Colorado opened the 2026 cross country season Friday at the Wyoming Invite at Little America Golf Course, competing against Wyoming, Colorado, Colorado State and Central Wyoming College.
The meet also marked the first for Nick Maas as Northern Colorado's head coach, and he said the team's approach reflected a long-term mindset as the Bears opened the season.
"I'm proud of the Bears today," Maas said. "Our plan all along today was to be under control and to run well in small groups and have a good finish in the final 1/3 of the race. I told the team that we have to start by planting seeds, then we water, then we see growth and eventually fruits of our labor. We can't pick the fruit without doing the work first."
On the women's side, Sabina Stroia paced the Bears with a 15th-place finish, crossing in 19:08.5 with an average pace of 6:10. Brooke Elfert followed in 25th at 19:47.7, while Claire Nowels placed 26th in 19:50.6.
Sofia Cambridge added a 35th-place finish in 20:58.7, and Taylor Sheldon rounded out Northern Colorado's scoring five by taking 38th in 21:32.6. Braelyn Gifford finished 39th in 21:44.0, Jordain Stutzman placed 40th in 21:56.3 and Isabella Lemus came in 41st in 22:14.8.
The men's team was led by Tristan Persons, who finished 25th overall in 16:41.5 with an average pace of 5:22. Cody Williams came in 28th at 17:14.2, and Dylan Wilson placed 31st in 17:29.9.
Noah Mayoral De Anza finished 33rd in 17:33.6, while Max Kedrowski completed the Bears' scoring group with a 35th-place finish in 18:00.5. Tad Rabenhorst also ran for Northern Colorado and placed 37th in 19:14.7.
The Wyoming Invite marked the first race opportunity of the fall for Northern Colorado as the Bears opened their season against a field featuring regional and conference-level competition.
Up Next
Northern Colorado returns to action at the MSU Roadrunner Invite in Denver on Sept. 19.
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The meet also marked the first for Nick Maas as Northern Colorado's head coach, and he said the team's approach reflected a long-term mindset as the Bears opened the season.
"I'm proud of the Bears today," Maas said. "Our plan all along today was to be under control and to run well in small groups and have a good finish in the final 1/3 of the race. I told the team that we have to start by planting seeds, then we water, then we see growth and eventually fruits of our labor. We can't pick the fruit without doing the work first."
On the women's side, Sabina Stroia paced the Bears with a 15th-place finish, crossing in 19:08.5 with an average pace of 6:10. Brooke Elfert followed in 25th at 19:47.7, while Claire Nowels placed 26th in 19:50.6.
Sofia Cambridge added a 35th-place finish in 20:58.7, and Taylor Sheldon rounded out Northern Colorado's scoring five by taking 38th in 21:32.6. Braelyn Gifford finished 39th in 21:44.0, Jordain Stutzman placed 40th in 21:56.3 and Isabella Lemus came in 41st in 22:14.8.
The men's team was led by Tristan Persons, who finished 25th overall in 16:41.5 with an average pace of 5:22. Cody Williams came in 28th at 17:14.2, and Dylan Wilson placed 31st in 17:29.9.
Noah Mayoral De Anza finished 33rd in 17:33.6, while Max Kedrowski completed the Bears' scoring group with a 35th-place finish in 18:00.5. Tad Rabenhorst also ran for Northern Colorado and placed 37th in 19:14.7.
The Wyoming Invite marked the first race opportunity of the fall for Northern Colorado as the Bears opened their season against a field featuring regional and conference-level competition.
Up Next
Northern Colorado returns to action at the MSU Roadrunner Invite in Denver on Sept. 19.
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Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
Tuesday, April 14
Wednesday, April 08
Tuesday, February 24
Tuesday, February 17
