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Kaitlyn Silva

Nationally-ranked cross country teams open season in Texas

9/15/2026 12:30:00 PM

By: AJ Bonanno, FLC Athletics
DURANGO, Colo. -- Both Fort Lewis cross country teams open their 2026 seasons nationally ranked, reflecting the high expectations for this fall and the momentum of the last few seasons.

Looking Back
The 2025 season saw the women's team make their third straight appearance at the NCAA DII Cross Country championships, finishing 21st. Hannah Hartwell took fourth individually out of 262 finishers, leading the Skyhawks and earning First Team All-American recognition. Carysa Marquez took 72nd, with Alliyah Molina in 115th.

The men's team finished their season at the South Central Regional meet, coming in eighth and led by Cesar Diaz's 37th place finish in a 160-runner field. Cody Sullivan came in 51st and Evan Morozowich finished 54th. Elijah Smith redshirted the season after finishing 49th at nationals in 2024.

Program-Best Preseason Rankings
The United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association released its national rankings on Sept. 2, with both Fort Lewis teams inside the top 20. The FLC men are ranked 14th, their highest preseason ranking ever. The Skyhawk women are ranked 17th, two slots lower than their 15th-place preseason ranking last year.

The RMAC is once again dominant in the preseason rankings for both men and women. On the men's side, three out of the top five ranked teams compete in the RMAC with #2 Colorado School of Mines, #3 Adams State and #5 Western. Wingate at #1 and Grand Valley State at #4 round out the top five. The same five teams make up the women's top five, with GVSU at #1, Adams State at #2, Wingate #3, Mines at #4 and Western Colorado at #5.

What to Look For
Both FLC teams are defined by a strong returning class that is augmented by newcomers. The men's squad returns five out of their top seven runners from last season in Cody Sullivan, Evan Morozowich, Crewe Resendez, Brody Hubbard, and Cooper Filmore. They will also look forward to Smith making his return after redshirting last year. International transfer Nicklas Pilven will also look to make his mark, as his five-kilometer personal best of 14:25.58 makes him the third-fastest 5K runner in FLC history.

The women's squad will also look to take advantage of continuity and youth, as two true freshmen were on the nationals squad last season in Madison Graffius and Carysa Marquez. The women bring back four of their seven runners from last year's nationals team. Marquez was picked to finish on the All-RMAC team by the RMAC preseason coaches' poll.

Friday in Lubbock
The Skyhawks will open their season on Sept. 18 in Lubbock, Texas at the Texas Tech Open. The meet will feature strong competition from teams like Colorado Christian and West Texas A&M. It will also give the Skyhawks a preview for the South Central Regional meet, which will be held on the same course.

The course is nearly all grass. The meet begins at 8:15 a.m.

What's on Deck
After Texas Tech, both teams will compete sparingly. The women will head to pre-nationals in Lawrence, Kansas on Oct. 11 and the UCCS XC Open on Oct. 24 before beginning championship season. Pre-nationals will feature strong competition and give the women a preview of the national course.

The men will have a second team time trial on Oct. 8 at Hillcrest Golf Club, followed by a split-squad weekend Oct. 24 with some runners heading to Huntsville, Alabama for the UAH Chargers XC Invite and some joining the women at UCCS. UAH will be a prime chance for the men to earn wins over top out-of-region competitors and build their nationals resume.

Championship season begins Nov. 7 with the RMAC Championships in Rapid City, South Dakota, followed by the South Central Regional meet in Lubbock. Both teams will then learn if they will be competing at the NCAA DII Cross Country Championships on Dec. 4 in Lawrence, Kansas.
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