BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The IUP men's and women's cross country teams competed at the 2026 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships on Saturday in Bloomsburg, with sophomores Colton Henning and senior Zaya McCune leading their respective teams.
The Crimson Hawks men's team finished ninth overall with 260 points in the 8K race, while the women's squad placed 11th with 276 points in the 6K competition.
Henning paced the IUP men with a 29th-place finish, crossing the line in 26 minutes, 32.1 seconds. The sophomore continued his strong season, finishing as the Crimson Hawks' top runner in the conference championship.
Junior Ian Rauber followed in 50th place with a time of 27:06.5, while sophomore Dominic Kuntz finished 72nd in 27:33.3. Freshman Michael Andretta was close behind in 74th place, clocking 27:35.4 in his first PSAC Championship appearance.
Junior Nathan Kociela rounded out IUP's five scoring runners with an 84th-place finish in 27:51.7. The Crimson Hawks' top five runners were separated by just 1 minute, 19.6 seconds, combining for a total time of 2:16:39.
Senior Gabe Pacyna finished 91st in 28:00.7, followed by sophomore Jason Clifford in 93rd (28:01.6) and freshman George Nestlerode in 94th (28:03.0). Sophomores Steven Janke (28:16.3) and Will Weaver (28:38.1) rounded out the IUP men's competitors.
On the women's side, McCune led the Crimson Hawks with a 35th-place finish, completing the 6K course in 23:21.9. The senior continued to anchor the IUP lineup, recording her second-fastest 6K time of the season.
Freshman Anna Jaworski delivered a strong performance in her conference championship debut, finishing 43rd overall with a time of 23:39.7. Jaworski was IUP's second finisher and one of two Crimson Hawks to place among the top 50.
Senior Lexi Lovrich followed in 68th place, crossing the line in 24:14.2, while junior Camryn Roche finished 75th with a time of 24:22.6.
Sophomore Addison Matthews completed IUP's scoring five with a 78th-place finish in 24:31.0. The Crimson Hawks' top five women were separated by 1 minute, 9.1 seconds, combining for a total time of 2:00:10.
Freshman Cora Drylie finished 88th in 24:49.0, followed by sophomore Hailey Hirtz in 104th (25:26.8). Sophomore Lexis Owens placed 119th in 25:58.0, while Natalie Romanyak rounded out the IUP lineup in 145th with a time of 28:12.0.
The conference championships marked the first PSAC postseason meet under director of cross country and track and field Patrick Gildea, with both squads gaining valuable championship experience as they prepare for the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships.
