It’s the biggest weekend of the year in the US collegiate cross-country scene and once again, there’s Irish interest right across the board.
Between the NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I National Championships, three major races will decide the top university teams and individuals in America. And whether it’s a tiny campus in the Midwest or one of the powerhouse programmes gunning for team glory, Irish athletes will be in the thick of it.
One will be flying the flag in the NAIA Championships in Tallahassee, Florida. Two more will line up at the NCAA Division II Nationals in Kenosha, Wisconsin. And at the top of the pile, nine Irish runners are set to compete in the NCAA Division I Championships in Columbia Missouri, the main event, with a stacked field and major bragging rights on the line.
NAIA National Cross-Country Championships
The weekend of collegiate action kicks off tomorrow Friday with the NAIA Nationals. The NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) is a separate governing body to the NCAA, typically made up of smaller private colleges and universities across the United States. The standard is still high, with many international athletes competing, but the depth isn’t quite on par with the NCAA.
This year’s sole Irish representative at the NAIA National Championships is Heather Murphy, originally from St. Michael’s AC. Murphy will be lining out for Montreat College, a private college based in North Carolina, having helped the team to qualify out of their regional meet earlier this month.
NCAA Division II Nationals
On Saturday both the NCAA Division I and II Nationals will take place. NCAA Division II sits just below Division I in the US college athletics system. While it doesn’t have the same level of funding or depth across the board, many D2 schools are still highly competitive and regularly attract strong international runners.
Two Irish athletes will be lining out this weekend at the NCAA D2 National Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin, both representing the historically strong Adams State University, a programme with a long tradition of distance running success.
Ava O’Connor, of Tullamore Harriers, and Clara Keane, from DMP AC in Wexford, played key roles in Adams State’s strong showing at Regionals earlier this month. The women’s team qualified comfortably for Nationals earlier this month, and will be hoping to mix it with the big contenders again on Saturday. Adams State is no stranger to the podium at this level, and O’Connor and Keane will both be aiming to help keep that tradition alive.
NCAA Division I Nationals
The NCAA Division I Championships are the biggest stage in US collegiate distance running. This year’s showdown takes place at Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Missouri, with the best university teams from across the country descending for a crack at national glory. Qualifying alone is no small feat and this year, a strong contingent of Irish athletes will be lining out across both the men’s and women’s races.
Among the headliners is Abdel Laadjel of Donore Harriers, who played a key role in Oregon’s victory at the West Regionals, finishing 6th overall. His teammate Anika Thompson, of Leevale AC, was equally impressive in the women’s race, finishing 9th and helping Oregon to second place. Both will be part of Oregon squads arriving in Missouri with serious momentum.
There’s also a strong Irish presence at Providence College, with Cara Laverty (Finn Valley AC), Anna Gardiner (East Down AC), Jane Buckley (Leevale AC) and Niamh O’Mahony (An Ríocht AC) all contributing to the Friars’ second-place finish at the Northeast Regionals. Gardiner and Laverty finished 6th and 7th respectively, while Buckley and O’Mahony came home together in 40th.
In the same region, Matthew Neill of Strive Racing Club placed 7th for Syracuse, who took the men’s team title and will line up among the favourites this weekend.
Dean Casey (Ennis Track AC) also returns to the national stage after finishing 22nd at the Mountain Regionals, helping the University of Colorado men's team secure their spot with a fourth-place team finish in one of the toughest qualifying races.
Rounding out the Irish field is Billy Coogan of Kilkenny City Harriers, who is part of the Iona College squad, one of the most consistent programmes in NCAA cross-country history. Although Coogan didn’t race at Regionals, he has featured for Iona this season and remains part of the championship team.
All in all, nine Irish athletes will be on the start line at Gans Creek, spread across five universities, with many coming in off the back of strong team results at Regionals. It’s shaping up to be another proud weekend for Irish athletics on the US circuit.
Throwback Thursday
The US collegiate cross‑country scene has long served as a vital stepping‑stone for Irish distance runners, and the history speaks loud. For instance, Neil Cusack claimed the NCAA men’s cross‑country title in 1972 while at East Tennessee State University. Neil would go on to shock the athletics world, winning the Boston Marathon in 1974.
A little further down the women’s timeline, Sonia O’Sullivan took the NCAA women’s cross‑country crown in 1991 for Villanova University in her senior year, and all her achievements since 1991 need no introduction here.
More broadly, Irish athletes have maintained an impressive presence at the NCAA Cross‑Country Championships for decades. Rather than being simply new names on the roster, the athletes competing this weekend are building on a tradition that spans 60‑plus years of Irish runners making waves in the US collegiate system.
📺 How to Follow the Action
All three championships take place across Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd November, with Irish athletes in action at every level. Here’s how to tune in:
🏃♀️ NAIA XC Nationals
📅 Friday, 21st November
🕜 Women’s Race: 1:30 PM (Irish Time)
🔗 Watch Live
📄 Start Lists & Results
🏃♀️ NCAA Division II XC Nationals
📅 Saturday, 22nd November
🕓 Women’s Race: 4:00 PM (Irish Time)
🔗 Watch Live
📄 Start Lists & Results
🏃♀️🏃 NCAA Division I XC Nationals
📅 Saturday, 22nd November
🕒 Women’s Race: 3:20 PM (Irish Time)
🕓 Men’s Race: 4:10 PM (Irish Time)
📺 TV Coverage: Only available in the US via ESPN U or ESPN+
📄 Start Lists & Results
There You Have It
From the NAIA fields of Washington to the fiercely contested NCAA Nationals in Missouri, Irish athletes will be lining up across all three major collegiate cross-country championships this weekend. It’s a mark of both quality and depth that runners from clubs in Wexford, Donegal, Cork, Laois, and beyond are competing at the highest levels of American university athletics.
We’ll be following every step from afar and we wish every Irish athlete racing in America this weekend the very best of luck.