Bozeman, Mont. – Carroll College Cross Country opened the 2026 season at the Bobcat Twilight Meet on Friday evening.

 

Carroll's women placed 2nd overall - surpassing NCAA Division I University of Montana - and 1st of small schools. Jayna Boonstra was the top Carroll placer, finishing 17th.  Ryah O'Dell, Nikki Nau, Ariel Brewer, and Amelia Mayes rounded out the scoring 5 for the Saints, all in the Top 25. Faye Holland and Isabelle Ruff finished less than a second behind Mayes in 6th and 7th position for the Saints.

 

The Saints men placed 5th, falling to Frontier foes Rocky Mountain College and Montana Tech. Conrad Schruth was Carroll's top placer in 27th followed by Wyatt Ehredt, Oliver Morris, Harper Churape, and Jack Jensen. The Saints have battled some illness and minor injuries in the early season, so they will look to bounce back in their first 8k coming up in a few weeks.

 

A few Carroll athletes set personal records despite the early season race and the high elevation in Bozeman. On the women's side this included Aundra Passmore with a lifetime best and Nina Badger with a collegiate cross country best. For the men, Wyatt Ehredt set an overall personal record.

 

"We talked a lot about this being an information gathering expedition and just a starting point," said Head Coach Shannon Flynn. "Still it is always fun to see the athletes get to compete after a big summer of work, and the energy and culture feel like they're in a great spot for us to keep making progress over the season," she added.

 

Full results are available HERE.

 

The Saints go back to work for several weeks before racing Friday September 18 at the Montana Open in Missoula, Mont.

 

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