JOPLIN, Mo. — Four CIU cross country runners competed on the national stage Friday at the 2026 NCCAA Division I Cross Country Championships, representing the Rams as individual qualifiers.

Savannah Costner and Elizabeth Gustafson competed in the women's 5-kilometer race, while Jacobo Garcia-Rivera and Joey Canning represented CIU in the men's 8-kilometer event.

Garcia-Rivera recorded CIU's highest individual finish, placing 25th in a field of 87 runners with a time of 26 minutes, 27 seconds. Canning finished 46th, crossing the line in 27:35.5.

Costner finished 27th among 68 competitors in the women's race with a time of 20:18.1. Gustafson followed in 35th, completing the course in 20:36.0.

"Extremely proud of the crew that represented our program and school at the NCCAA national level," CIU coach Justin Carver said. "Jacobo, Joey and Savannah all ran lifetime cross country PRs, and Elizabeth ran a two-minute PR for the course. Teamwork makes the dream work."

The national championship appearance concluded the cross country season for the Rams.