BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The IUP men's and women's cross country teams will travel east to compete in the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Cross Country Championships on Saturday in Bloomsburg.
The men's race is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., followed by the women's race at 11 a.m. Depth will be a key factor for the Crimson Hawks, with both teams looking to produce strong performances across their respective lineups in their first conference championship under director of cross country and track and field Patrick Gildea.
The IUP women will be led by senior Zaya McCune, who has emerged as one of the Crimson Hawks' most consistent performers this season.
McCune will be joined by a group of runners capable of making an impact in the team standings. A healthy Camryn Roche enters the championship following two strong weeks of training, while sophomore Addison Matthews and senior Lexi Lovrich will look to establish themselves near the front of the field.
Gildea expects Matthews and Lovrich to provide the Crimson Hawks with "early firepower," while freshmen Anna Jaworski and Rylan Carney will make their conference championship debuts and look to contribute valuable points toward the team's overall finish.
On the men's side, sophomores Colton Henning and Dominic Kuntz headline a deep Crimson Hawks lineup following breakout seasons. Both runners have consistently competed for IUP's top finishing positions and will look to carry that momentum into the conference championship.
Freshmen Michael Andretta and George Nestlerode will make their PSAC Championship debuts, adding another dimension to the Crimson Hawks' lineup. Nate Kociela, Ian Rauber and Steven Janke also enter the postseason in strong form, with the trio looking to deliver timely performances as IUP seeks to maximize its team finish.
With a combination of experienced runners and emerging underclassmen, both IUP squads will look to showcase their depth against the conference's top competition.
Saturday's championship marks Gildea's first PSAC postseason meet leading the Crimson Hawks. IUP will look to build momentum in Bloomsburg and establish a strong foundation heading into the NCAA postseason.
