ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - The Nanooks cross country team will race at the 2026 Lewis Crossover on Saturday, Oct. 10. 

Saturday, Oct. 10
at Lewis Crossover | 6:45 & 7:30 a.m. AKST
Romeoville, Illinois | Lewis XC Course

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Last Time Out
The Nanooks will race for the first time in two weeks after attending the 2026 Bill Roe Classic in Bellingham, Wash. on Sept. 26. Both teams earned seventh place finishes. In the men's race, Nick Iverson was Alaska's highest finisher, placing 32nd after crossing the line in 25:54.5 and earning 21 points. Ian Baker followed as the second scorer for the Nanooks, as his 26:12.6 notched him a 40th-place finish and 27 points. Blake Hanley and Aidan Niedbalski placed 55th and 56th, respectively, to tally 40 and 41 points. Hanley posted an 8k time of 26:36.7, while Niedbalski finished 0.2 seconds behind his teammate. Ned Peters was the final Nanook to count towards the scoring, placing 71st with a 27:13.6 for 53 points.

Additionally, Brady Benedict and Andrew Severs raced for the 'Nooks, placing 78th and 92nd, respectively, with times of 27:29.5 and 28:03.1.

Tabitha Williams led the way for the 'Nooks in the women's 6k race, crossing the line 16th after finishing in 22:28.7 to earn the Nanooks 16 points. She was joined by Iris Haas, who placed three spots behind her with a time of 22:45.8, giving the 'Nooks two top-20 finishes in the women's race and posting 19 points for the Blue and Gold. Mila Moseley added a 51st-place result with a time of 24:05.6 for 40 points, and Madison Schuh posted a 24:40.7, putting her 0.2 seconds in front of Simon Fraser's Arden Mathis to place 60th and grab 45 points. Olivia Manley was the final Nanook to count towards team scoring, posting a 68th-place result with a time of 24:54.9 and giving the Nanooks 50 points.

Emma Niedbalski also raced for the 'Nooks and came in 73rd with a 25:27.1.

Academic All-Conference
To qualify for academic all-conference, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20, must be in at least their second season competing for their team, and must have competed on the course during the 2026 campaign. On the men's side, the Nanooks had four second-time honorees and four first-time recipients. Curtis Beck, Blake Hanley, Paxson Ott, and Ruben Rhodes all earned their second selection to the GNAC XC Academic All-Conference Team. Beck is a junior who hails from Fairbanks and has maintained a 3.23 while studying mechanical engineering. Hanley, a junior from Anchorage, holds a 3.97 while studying homeland security and emergency management. Ott is a junior studying biological sciences, and the Fairbanks native holds a 3.96 through two-plus years at UAF. Finally, Rhodes is the final two-timer for the men's team, being named with a 3.95 while studying chemistry. Rhodes also hails from Anchorage. 

Ian Baker, Dexter Delaney, Jace Peters, and Ned Peters all earned their first Academic All-Conference nod. Baker, a sophomore from Corvallis, Ore., has maintained a 3.48 while studying chemistry. Delaney is a sophomore from Winthrop, Wash. and holds a 3.78 while studying chemistry as well. Both Jace Peters and Ned Peters are studying mechanical engineering. Jace Peters is a junior from Leadville, Colo. and has a 3.91. Ned Peters is a sophomore from Bethel and has maintained a 3.63. 

On the women's side, the Nanooks were led by Tabitha Williams, who was named for the third time in her career. Riga Grubis and Madison Schuh earned their second honor while Rory Claussen, Olivia Manley, and Devyn Townsend were first-time recipients. 

Williams is one of nine three-time recipients on the GNAC women's list. She hails from Canmore, Alta. The senior has maintained a 3.58 while studying digital journalism. Riga Grubis earned her second academic honor, and the junior from Fairbanks, holds a 3.65 while studying biological sciences. Madison Schuh is the second two-time honoree for the 'Nooks, and the Anchorage native has a 3.79 while studying wildlife biology and conservation. Claussen, a sophomore from Albuquerque, N.M., earned her first academic nod with a 3.90 while studying fisheries and marine science. Manley, a junior from Fairbanks, also earned her first honor with a 3.88 while studying psychology. The final Nanooks women's runner to be named was sophomore Devyn Townsend. The Redondo Beach, Calif. native held a 3.54 while studying wildlife biology and conservation. 

Lewis Crossover
The men's 8k race will race first at 6:45 a.m. AKST before the women's 6k race at 7:30 a.m. AKST. This is the 11th annual Lewis Crossover Invitational and he Lewis XC Course is location on the south side of campus at Lewis University. It is a relatively flat course with a ten meter wide path and will be done in two loops. 

Racing
On the men's side, the Nanooks will have Ian Baker, Brady Benedict, Blake Hanley, Nick Iverson, Mats Langenkamp, Aidan Niedbalski, and Ned Peters racing. The women's team will have Rory Claussen, Iris Haas, Sadie Johnson, Olivia Manley, Mila Moseley, Emma Niedbalski, Madison Schuh, Devyn Townsend, and Tabitha Williams racing. 

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