2026 Frontier Conference Cross Country Championships Preview

Championship experience and depth define the Frontier Conference Preview outlook, with Rocky Mountain (Mont.) leading the men’s contenders and Carroll (Mont.) setting the women’s standard ahead of the conference championships Friday, Nov. 6, at Amend Park in Billings, Mont. Rocky Mountain will host the 11-team championship. The Battlin’ Bears are pursuing a second consecutive men’s title, while the Fighting Saints are seeking their sixth women’s championship in seven years.

Rocky Mountain’s men won the 2025 championship on the same course with 38 points, ending Carroll’s run of four consecutive conference titles. The Rocky Mountain finished second with 50 points, followed by Bellevue with 126, Montana Tech with 127, Dakota State with 137 and Bismarck State with 140. Both Rocky Mountain and Carroll advanced to the 2025 NAIA Men’s Preview National Championships, where the Battlin’ Bears placed fourth and the Fighting Saints finished 16th.

The men’s preseason coaches’ poll points to another close race at the top. Preseason Poll received six first-place votes and 92 points, just ahead of Carroll’s three first-place votes and 91 points. Dakota State was third with 77 points, followed by Bellevue with 76 and Montana Tech with 68. The Battlin’ Bears demonstrated their depth at the Frontier Conference Preview on Oct. 9 at Amend Park, winning with 43 points ahead of NCAA Division II University of Mary, which scored 59. Dickinson State’s Caleb Sarsland has been an individual standout, earning conference men’s Runner of the Week honors four times this season.

On the women’s side, Carroll captured the 2025 conference championship with 58 points, seven fewer than runner-up Montana Tech. Rocky Mountain finished third with 109 points, followed by Dakota State (S.D.) with 126, Bismarck State (N.D.) with 145, Bellevue (Neb.) with 160 and Dickinson State (N.D.) with 187. Bellevue’s Grace Steinmetz claimed the individual title in 21 minutes, 3.6 seconds over 6 kilometers, earning the conference’s Women’s Preview of the Year honor.

Carroll remains the women’s preseason favorite after collecting nine first-place votes and 100 points in the coaches’ poll. Montana Tech received the remaining first-place vote and 91 points, followed by Dakota State with 74, Rocky Mountain with 71 and Bellevue with 65. The Fighting Saints and Orediggers bring national championship experience into the title race: Both qualified for the 2025 NAIA Women’s Preview National Championships, with Carroll finishing 20th and Montana Tech placing 23rd.

The championship schedule begins with the men’s 8-kilometer race at 10:30 a.m. Mountain time, 11:30 a.m. Central time. The women’s 6K follows at 11:30 a.m. Mountain time, 12:30 p.m. Central time. An awards ceremony directly north of the finish line will follow the women’s race. Awards for each gender include Team Champion, All-Conference recognition for the top 15 finishers, Runner of the Year, Coach of the Year, Champions of Character and the GRIT Award.