Friday, October 30
Mechanicsville, VA / Pole Green Park
9:00 A.M. CT Women; 9:50 A.M. CT Men
Marquette University
at
BIG EAST Championships
Photo by: Marquette Athletics
10/28/2026 10:43:00 AM | Cross Country
Golden Eagles compete in their first meet of championship season this Friday, Oct. 30.
MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University cross country teams are set to begin their championship season this Friday, Oct. 30 at the 2026 BIG EAST Championships at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville, Va. The women's 6k kicks off the event at 9 a.m. CT, with the men's 8k race set to begin at approximately 9:50 a.m. CT. This year's championship will be broadcast live on ESPN+, with live results available through Blue Ridge Timing.
MU HISTORY AT THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Marquette women have posted six top-six finishes at the BIG EAST Championships since 2014, highlighted by a fourth-place team finish in 2017 and fifth-place showings in 2014 and 2016. The program's best conference finish remains a third-place effort in 2005. Last season, the Golden Eagles placed 10th at the BIG EAST Championships at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska, led by junior Emma Coon, who took 29th overall in 21:20.0. Individually, Brittany Feivor owns Marquette's highest finish in championship history, placing 10th in 20:07.1 in 2015, while her time remains the fastest BIG EAST Championship 6K in program history.
The Marquette men enjoyed their most successful run at the BIG EAST Championships from 2017-19, placing fifth in 2017 before recording back-to-back fourth-place finishes in 2018 and 2019. Daniel Pederson led that stretch with the two best individual finishes in program history, taking eighth in 25:01.0 in 2017 and ninth in 24:55.5 in 2018. Last season, Marquette finished eighth at the BIG EAST Championships in Ashland, Nebraska, as Nick Parrell paced the Golden Eagles with a 41st-place finish in 25:05.0. The men's program has also recorded sixth-place team finishes in 2020 and 2021, marking four top-six finishes in the last seven championship meets.
WOMEN'S SQUAD CONTINUES RISE AHEAD OF CONFERENCE MEET
The Marquette women head into the BIG EAST Championships after closing the regular season with a 10th-place finish at the Panorama Farms Invitational. Freshman Isabelle Wiebe led the Golden Eagles with a team-best 66th-place finish in 23:13.8, while junior Sadie Kibelstis followed in 23:24.1 and sophomore Elise Fischer clocked 23:30.0.
Earlier in the season, Marquette captured the team title at the Jim Allen Classic with just 25 points, paced by Kibelstis' individual victory in 22:41.7. The Golden Eagles also received top-four finishes from Taya Gummerson (third, 22:55.7) and Wiebe (fourth, 22:56.1), while Fischer added a seventh-place finish in 23:06.8. Marquette opened the year with a third-place finish at the Phoenix Open and gained valuable experience against a nationally competitive field at the Joe Piane Invitational.
Associate head cross country coach Jack Hackett believes the Golden Eagles have the depth to compete at the conference meet, anticipating a close battle among Marquette, Creighton and Seton Hall.
"The women's race should end up being nail-bitingly close between Creighton, us and Seton Hall," Hackett said. "If the projections are to be believed, it should be about a 10-point race between the three of us."
Kibelstis enters the championship meet looking to build on her victory at the Jim Allen Classic, while Wiebe has established herself as Marquette's top finisher at its other meets this season. Hackett sees both runners positioned to make an impact Friday.
"Sadie Kibelstis won our first-ever home meet at the lakefront, and I think she's set up to have a great race," Hackett said. "Isabelle Wiebe has been our number one at all of the other meets and she's been doing great, but I think she's ready to have a big breakout."
Marquette also expects contributions from senior captain Mia Nutile, who recorded a significant personal best in Virginia at the Panorama Farms Invitational, and a group of sophomores that includes Gummerson, Fischer, Kaylie Earl and Paige Haglund. Hackett believes their experience from last year's conference championship, along with the team's overall depth, could prove important in a tightly contested race.
"Our biggest strength now is as a team. We have the depth and the ability for all 10 of our runners to contribute to scoring and displacing other runners, and everyone is coming into this race healthy and ready to race," Hackett said.
MEN TESTED AND READY FOR BREAKTHROUGH FRIDAY
The MU men enter the BIG EAST Championships after competing against some of the nation's top competition throughout October. Most recently, the Golden Eagles placed eighth at the Panorama Farms Invitational, led by sophomore Dylan Riniker's 24th-place finish in 25:14.1, while seniors Nick Parrell (35th, 25:28.9) and Logan Goodman (46th, 25:47.4) also finished among the team's top three runners.
Earlier in the month, Marquette placed third at the prestigious Joe Piane Invitational behind a fourth-place finish from Riniker in a personal-best 24:03.0. Goodman added a career-best 24:32.2 for 19th place, while Parrell clocked a personal-best 24:39.7 and finished 26th. The Golden Eagles opened the season by winning the Jim Allen Classic with 28 points after placing five runners in the top 15 and were runners-up at the season-opening Phoenix Open.
Hackett sees an opportunity for Marquette to contend with a closely grouped set of teams in the middle of the conference standings, including DePaul, Creighton and Xavier. He believes the Golden Eagles' top runners are poised to put together their strongest collective performance of the season.
"The men's race is really two races in a lot of ways," Hackett said. "Villanova, Georgetown and Butler, and then Providence, are pretty far separated. The next four or five teams are relatively close, and I think we can win that second race. DePaul, Creighton, Xavier and us are all going to be close. We haven't had all three of our top guys race well at the same race yet, and they are ready to rip here."
Riniker has emerged as Marquette's top performer in 2026, earning BIG EAST Athlete of the Week honors earlier this season after his performance at Notre Dame. He followed that effort with a fourth-place finish at the Joe Piane Invitational before placing 24th at Panorama Farms.
"Dylan Riniker was BIG EAST Athlete of the Week earlier this season as he absolutely ripped at Notre Dame," Hackett said. "Being under the weather on a sloppy, hilly course made that Virginia race not look as good as it was, but he's back at his best and ready to mix it up with some of the best runners in the country."
Goodman and Parrell round out Marquette's top three. Goodman has continued to improve while enjoying a healthier season, recording a career-best performance at Joe Piane before finishing among the team's top three at Panorama Farms. Parrell, a team captain, has steadily improved throughout his career and enters the championship meet looking to cap his Marquette cross country career with a strong performance.
"Logan Goodman has finally been healthy and has made a huge leap, and it's been exciting to see him finding his real level," Hackett said. "I think he'll surprise some people here."
Hackett also highlighted Parrell's continued development and leadership heading into Friday's race.
"Nick Parrell is our captain, and he's been steadily improving every year. This may be his last BIG EAST race, and if so, I think he's ready to do something big here to finish off his Marquette cross country career."
HACKETT SEES GROWTH ACROSS BOTH PROGRAMS
As the Golden Eagles prepare for the postseason, Hackett believes the progress of both teams extends beyond their results at individual meets. He pointed to the team's collective work ethic, internal competition and growing depth as signs of the program's development.
"In my time here, this is the best team we have had on both sides," Hackett said. "I am excited about where we are fitness-wise, and we're ready to go out and compete hard."
With a fast course and favorable weather expected, Hackett anticipates a strong test for both squads as they begin championship season.
"The course is fast and the weather looks like it will cooperate; it should be a great test for the teams, and we should have a really tight race on both sides," Hackett said.
More than anything, Hackett is encouraged by the progress the program has made and the commitment of the athletes throughout the season.
"More than anything, I am proud of the growth this team has gone through," Hackett said. "Everyone here has been working hard and earning their spot. It's getting harder and harder to make our conference and regionals roster, and it's that depth that makes a good team. When everyone is buying in and working hard, that's what we are building and working toward. The results will come if we keep doing things the right way."
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MU HISTORY AT THE BIG EAST CHAMPIONSHIPS
The Marquette women have posted six top-six finishes at the BIG EAST Championships since 2014, highlighted by a fourth-place team finish in 2017 and fifth-place showings in 2014 and 2016. The program's best conference finish remains a third-place effort in 2005. Last season, the Golden Eagles placed 10th at the BIG EAST Championships at Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska, led by junior Emma Coon, who took 29th overall in 21:20.0. Individually, Brittany Feivor owns Marquette's highest finish in championship history, placing 10th in 20:07.1 in 2015, while her time remains the fastest BIG EAST Championship 6K in program history.
The Marquette men enjoyed their most successful run at the BIG EAST Championships from 2017-19, placing fifth in 2017 before recording back-to-back fourth-place finishes in 2018 and 2019. Daniel Pederson led that stretch with the two best individual finishes in program history, taking eighth in 25:01.0 in 2017 and ninth in 24:55.5 in 2018. Last season, Marquette finished eighth at the BIG EAST Championships in Ashland, Nebraska, as Nick Parrell paced the Golden Eagles with a 41st-place finish in 25:05.0. The men's program has also recorded sixth-place team finishes in 2020 and 2021, marking four top-six finishes in the last seven championship meets.
WOMEN'S SQUAD CONTINUES RISE AHEAD OF CONFERENCE MEET
The Marquette women head into the BIG EAST Championships after closing the regular season with a 10th-place finish at the Panorama Farms Invitational. Freshman Isabelle Wiebe led the Golden Eagles with a team-best 66th-place finish in 23:13.8, while junior Sadie Kibelstis followed in 23:24.1 and sophomore Elise Fischer clocked 23:30.0.
Earlier in the season, Marquette captured the team title at the Jim Allen Classic with just 25 points, paced by Kibelstis' individual victory in 22:41.7. The Golden Eagles also received top-four finishes from Taya Gummerson (third, 22:55.7) and Wiebe (fourth, 22:56.1), while Fischer added a seventh-place finish in 23:06.8. Marquette opened the year with a third-place finish at the Phoenix Open and gained valuable experience against a nationally competitive field at the Joe Piane Invitational.
Associate head cross country coach Jack Hackett believes the Golden Eagles have the depth to compete at the conference meet, anticipating a close battle among Marquette, Creighton and Seton Hall.
"The women's race should end up being nail-bitingly close between Creighton, us and Seton Hall," Hackett said. "If the projections are to be believed, it should be about a 10-point race between the three of us."
Kibelstis enters the championship meet looking to build on her victory at the Jim Allen Classic, while Wiebe has established herself as Marquette's top finisher at its other meets this season. Hackett sees both runners positioned to make an impact Friday.
"Sadie Kibelstis won our first-ever home meet at the lakefront, and I think she's set up to have a great race," Hackett said. "Isabelle Wiebe has been our number one at all of the other meets and she's been doing great, but I think she's ready to have a big breakout."
Marquette also expects contributions from senior captain Mia Nutile, who recorded a significant personal best in Virginia at the Panorama Farms Invitational, and a group of sophomores that includes Gummerson, Fischer, Kaylie Earl and Paige Haglund. Hackett believes their experience from last year's conference championship, along with the team's overall depth, could prove important in a tightly contested race.
"Our biggest strength now is as a team. We have the depth and the ability for all 10 of our runners to contribute to scoring and displacing other runners, and everyone is coming into this race healthy and ready to race," Hackett said.
MEN TESTED AND READY FOR BREAKTHROUGH FRIDAY
The MU men enter the BIG EAST Championships after competing against some of the nation's top competition throughout October. Most recently, the Golden Eagles placed eighth at the Panorama Farms Invitational, led by sophomore Dylan Riniker's 24th-place finish in 25:14.1, while seniors Nick Parrell (35th, 25:28.9) and Logan Goodman (46th, 25:47.4) also finished among the team's top three runners.
Earlier in the month, Marquette placed third at the prestigious Joe Piane Invitational behind a fourth-place finish from Riniker in a personal-best 24:03.0. Goodman added a career-best 24:32.2 for 19th place, while Parrell clocked a personal-best 24:39.7 and finished 26th. The Golden Eagles opened the season by winning the Jim Allen Classic with 28 points after placing five runners in the top 15 and were runners-up at the season-opening Phoenix Open.
Hackett sees an opportunity for Marquette to contend with a closely grouped set of teams in the middle of the conference standings, including DePaul, Creighton and Xavier. He believes the Golden Eagles' top runners are poised to put together their strongest collective performance of the season.
"The men's race is really two races in a lot of ways," Hackett said. "Villanova, Georgetown and Butler, and then Providence, are pretty far separated. The next four or five teams are relatively close, and I think we can win that second race. DePaul, Creighton, Xavier and us are all going to be close. We haven't had all three of our top guys race well at the same race yet, and they are ready to rip here."
Riniker has emerged as Marquette's top performer in 2026, earning BIG EAST Athlete of the Week honors earlier this season after his performance at Notre Dame. He followed that effort with a fourth-place finish at the Joe Piane Invitational before placing 24th at Panorama Farms.
"Dylan Riniker was BIG EAST Athlete of the Week earlier this season as he absolutely ripped at Notre Dame," Hackett said. "Being under the weather on a sloppy, hilly course made that Virginia race not look as good as it was, but he's back at his best and ready to mix it up with some of the best runners in the country."
Goodman and Parrell round out Marquette's top three. Goodman has continued to improve while enjoying a healthier season, recording a career-best performance at Joe Piane before finishing among the team's top three at Panorama Farms. Parrell, a team captain, has steadily improved throughout his career and enters the championship meet looking to cap his Marquette cross country career with a strong performance.
"Logan Goodman has finally been healthy and has made a huge leap, and it's been exciting to see him finding his real level," Hackett said. "I think he'll surprise some people here."
Hackett also highlighted Parrell's continued development and leadership heading into Friday's race.
"Nick Parrell is our captain, and he's been steadily improving every year. This may be his last BIG EAST race, and if so, I think he's ready to do something big here to finish off his Marquette cross country career."
HACKETT SEES GROWTH ACROSS BOTH PROGRAMS
As the Golden Eagles prepare for the postseason, Hackett believes the progress of both teams extends beyond their results at individual meets. He pointed to the team's collective work ethic, internal competition and growing depth as signs of the program's development.
"In my time here, this is the best team we have had on both sides," Hackett said. "I am excited about where we are fitness-wise, and we're ready to go out and compete hard."
With a fast course and favorable weather expected, Hackett anticipates a strong test for both squads as they begin championship season.
"The course is fast and the weather looks like it will cooperate; it should be a great test for the teams, and we should have a really tight race on both sides," Hackett said.
More than anything, Hackett is encouraged by the progress the program has made and the commitment of the athletes throughout the season.
"More than anything, I am proud of the growth this team has gone through," Hackett said. "Everyone here has been working hard and earning their spot. It's getting harder and harder to make our conference and regionals roster, and it's that depth that makes a good team. When everyone is buying in and working hard, that's what we are building and working toward. The results will come if we keep doing things the right way."
TRAVEL ROSTERS
MEN
- Nick Ahlheim
- Ethan Aidoo
- Will Allen
- Max Borgmeier
- Sam Chandler
- Patrick Clune
- Logan Goodman
- Nick Parrell
- Dylan Riniker
- Edgar Valles
WOMEN
- Kaylie Earl
- Elise Fischer
- Taya Gummerson
- Paige Haglund
- Maggie Jortberg
- Sadie Kibelstis
- Brynn Miller
- Mia Nutile
- Alexa Overstreet
- Isabelle Wiebe
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