The 2026 SLIAC Cross Country Championship will be held this weekend, October 31st in Louisville, Kentucky. Spalding University will serve as host of the championship which will be held at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park. The men's race is set for a 10:30 a.m. local start time with the women beginning at 11:30 a.m. local time. There will be an awards ceremony following the races at approximately 12:30 p.m. Attendees will need a parking pass, which can be purchased online for $10 per vehicle.
There are handful of student-athletes that are in contention to be this year's individual champion. On the men's side Webster University's Simon Muthemba has the league's top 8K time this season at 26:44. Tobias Rice, from Spalding University, is tied for second with Webster's Ethan Nieroda with a time of 27:05. Last year's champion, Kaden Einhorn from Greenville University, has clocked a season best time of 27:10.
The team race was a tight one last year and should be no different this Saturday. Last year three teams (Greenville, Principia College, and Webster) were within eight points of each other. Greenville men are looking to win an unprecedented 11th consecutive title. Outside of Einhorn, Hunter Malan, Mason Clayton, and Luis Zavala are also ranked in the top ten in the conference season best times.
Blackburn College finished 6th at last year's championship and will be paced by Marshall Garwood; who has led the team in all four races this fall. Eureka College finished 5th last year
Lyon College is coming off a 7th place showing last season. Elijah Benton has led the Scots this fall, finishing first for the team in every race and logging a season best time of 27:44.
MUW was 8th last fall.
Jarvis Sellers has three top team finishes including a season best time of 29:04 two weeks ago at the Watson Classic.
Principia took 2nd place at last year's championship. Holland Thomas and Kennett Rampley each finished in the top ten at last year's championship and will be pushing each other at the top of the pack for the Panthers.
Spalding University was 4th and will be paced by Rice. The junior runner earned All-Conference honors last season and has paced the Golden Eagles in all six of their races this fall.
Webster University finished 3rd last season. Muthemba and Nieroda will be looking to become the first Gorloks to ever win a conference individual title after both finished in the top six last fall.
Westminster College is looking to field a full lineup for this Saturday after failing to do so last fall. Bryce McCree has three top team finishes this year.
The Greenville women are in the midst of a four-year title run and look poised to extend that streak. The Panthers have four runners in the top five of the conference best times this season with reigning individual champion Alexis Martinez leading the way. Martinez has a season best time of 23:52 and is looking to continue the conference history and join the long list of repeat winners. Alivia Clayton, Lydia Cahill, and Natali Roth should also find themselves near the top of the finish.
Blackburn College placed 7th at last year's meet. Sophomore Kaitlyn Garland has been the team's top runner with three top team finishes.
Eureka College will once again be represented by Zoe Stoecker. The senior will look to close out her career in her final championship event. She has a season best time of 35:50, coming in early October.
Lyon College was 3rd at last year's championship. The Scots have a trio of runners that will push each other in Briley Brown, Brooklynn Collins, and Madison DeRoussel.
MUW finished 6th last fall.
Hannah Owens ties up the laces one last time at the conference championship. The senior runner has led the Owls since stepping on campus and has a season best time of 25:45. She already has the program's best finish at the championships, 8th place last year.
Principia College took 2nd place last year. Junior Nina Martinez has led the team in all four races this fall and put up a best time of 26:48.
Spalding University finished 5th in 2025. Gemma Harkins and Reganne Piercey have traded off top spots for the team this season with Harkins logging a team low time of 24:48.
Webster University was 8th last season. Violet Hill and Lydia Imboden have challenged each other all fall and that should continue on Saturday to see who will be the first Gorlok to cross the finish line.
Westminster College placed 4th at last year's championship. Sadie Brandt has three top team finishes this season but her teammate Makayla Cordes edged her out in the team's last race one week ago.
