CALDWELL, Idaho - The College of Idaho cross country teams enter the 2026 season with high expectations, as the Yotes look to build on a strong group of returning athletes and a talented incoming class.
The College of Idaho women were selected first in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll after winning seven consecutive CCC championships and establishing a conference record with their championship run (in 2025 with their sixth). The Yote men were picked second in the preseason poll as they return six of the seven runners who competed at last year's NAIA Championships.
Women's Cross Country
The Yotes' women enter the season with one of the deepest rosters in program history and a clear goal of contending for a national championship trophy.
College of Idaho returns six of the seven athletes from last year's national team that placed fifth at the NAIA Championships, finishing just one point shy of a team trophy. The Yotes also return a group of athletes who posted strong individual finishes at the CCC Championships, including Julia Gilbert, Kylee Quinton, Rozzlyn Cazier, Paiten Braseth, Josie Patton and Ainsley Bowen.
Gilbert placed fourth at the CCC Championships and 23rd nationally, while Quinton finished third at the conference meet and 32nd at nationals. Quinton went on to finish third in the steeplechase at the NAIA Outdoor Championships, setting a personal best of 10:39.
Cazier was seventh at the CCC Championships and 36th at nationals before placing eighth in the 10,000 meters at the NAIA Outdoor Championships with a personal-best 36:55. Braseth added an 11th-place conference finish and qualified for nationals in the steeplechase after running a personal-best 11:23.
Patton was 14th at the CCC Championships and posted a 22:37 6K personal best. She enjoyed a breakout spring, running personal bests of 4:44 in the 1,500 and 18:19 in the 5,000, while finishing 10th in the steeplechase at the NAIA Championships.
Kiely Munson also enters the fall with significant momentum after running 2:12 in the 800 and 4:33 in the 1,500 during the spring. Bowen, meanwhile, returns after placing 15th at the CCC Championships and recording a 22:05 6K personal best.
The Yotes will look to replace senior captain Jovi Kuskie, who competed on both the conference and national teams.
The newcomers add even more depth to an already talented group. Talia Bonville enters with an 18:37 5K cross country mark, while Josie Roy, Andie Roy and Lucy Johnson bring cross country marks of 18:31, 18:16 and 18:37, respectively. Transfer Cadence Mitchell also has the potential to make an immediate impact after a strong summer of training.
"On paper, this is the deepest roster we've ever had," said Head Coach Dominic Bolin. "We definitely have the talent to compete for trophies this fall."
With six national-team returners, a collection of proven conference performers and a talented group of newcomers, the Yotes will look to extend their unprecedented conference championship streak while making another push at the national level.
Men's Cross Country
The College of Idaho men were selected second in the CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll and return a strong core from last year's national team.
Six of the seven athletes who competed at the NAIA Championships last fall return for the 2026 season, giving the Yotes a veteran foundation despite a roster that remains relatively young. The team returns six runners who posted cross country personal bests between 24:21 and 25:15 last fall.
Oclan Ryan leads the returners after posting a 24:33 cross country personal best last season. Ryan carried that momentum into the spring, setting a 14:41 personal best in the 5,000 and finishing second in the conference 10,000 meters in his first time competing in the event.
Isaac Anttonen also returns after running a 24:21 cross country personal best and placing 47th at the NAIA Championships. He added personal bests of 14:46 in the 5,000 and 31:17 in the 10,000 during the spring.
Cass Violett posted a 24:59 cross country personal best last fall before running 14:39 in the 5,000 and 31:11 in the 10,000 during the spring. Casey Crumley, Isaac Edwards, Matt Wilde and Everett Metier also return after each posting cross country personal bests between 25:10 and 25:15 last fall.
The Yotes will replace Collin De Julio and Ashton Drage. De Julio placed 13th at the CCC Championships and 65th at nationals before running a 14:36 5,000 in the spring. Drage finished 34th at the conference meet.
A deep newcomer class provides plenty of options for the Yotes. Transfer Elmer Olaco-Castillo joins the program with personal bests of 14:47 in the 5,000 and 31:17 in the 10,000. Emiliano Diaz-Garcia brings a 15:07 cross country 5K mark along with track bests of 3:55 in the 1,500 and 8:25 in the 3,000.
Austin Riley enters with a 15:04 cross country 5K, while Ben Hugaboom has run 15:17 in cross country and recently posted a 15:13 5,000 on the track. Jeremiah Petersen has a 15:27 cross country mark, while Maxwell Taggart has run 14:48 in cross country and 9:27 in the 3,200. Diego Trinidad and Jasper Buskirk add additional depth with cross country marks of 15:42 and 15:49, respectively.
Despite the team's youth, the combination of returning national-level experience and incoming talent gives the Yotes plenty of potential.
"If Oclan Ryan, Isaac Anttonen and Cass Violett can carry the momentum from their track seasons into the fall, our sophomore class continues to develop, and our newcomers make the impact we believe they're capable of, this team has the talent to compete at the top of the conference and national level," said Head Coach Dominic Bolin.
The Road Ahead
The Yotes open the season Sept. 4 at the Linfield Harrier Classic in McMinnville, Oregon, before competing at the Northwest Nazarene Invite on Sept. 18 in Nampa.
The schedule continues with the Charles Bowles Invite on Oct. 3 in Salem, Oregon, followed by the LC State Invite on Oct. 17 in Lewiston. A limited travel roster will compete at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge on Oct. 24 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The CCC Championships are set for Nov. 6 at LC State, while the NAIA Championships will take place Nov. 20 in Vancouver, Washington.
With both teams entering the season among the conference's top contenders, the 2026 campaign will provide an opportunity for the Yotes to turn returning experience and emerging talent into another memorable postseason run.
