SAINT PETER, Minn. - The Gustavus men's cross country team will send their best lineup back to Northfield on Saturday, this time for the 2026 NCAA North Regional Championships. 

The event will once again be hosted at St. Olaf, a course the Gusties are familiar with. Two weeks ago, Gustavus took on the same course in the MIAC Championships, finishing 6th of 11 teams at the meet. 

Senior Nick Brauer (Mankato, Minn.) made his mark on the meet by earning All-Conference honors. Brauer finished 13th, running a 25:55.4, less than a minute behind the winner of the race and earned his spot on the All-Conference roster by just 11 seconds. The second finisher for Gustavus was sophomore Caden Riga (Belle Plaine, Minn.) in 37th place at a 26.44.4 mark. First-year Joey Gustafson (Virginia, Minn.) and junior Matthew Berge (Eden Prairie, Minn.) finished the race just under five seconds apart but also five spots apart in 26:53.0 and 26:57.8, respectively. The last scorer was senior Evan Pouliot (Circle Pines, Minn.) in 27:09.3, in 59th place to add 43 points to the team score.

Saturday's event serves as the qualifier for the 2026 NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships, which will be hosted at the Bill Huyck Championship Course at Carleton on Saturday, November 21st.