Saturday, Oct. 4 | Griffon Invite
Men 8K – 8:45 a.m. CT
St. Joseph, Mo. | MWSU Cross Country Course
LIVE RESULTS
 
Saturday, Oct. 4 | Arkansas Chili Pepper Festival 
Men 8K – 10:25 a.m. CT
Women 5K – 11 a.m. CT
Fayetteville, Ark.| Agri Park
WATCH | LIVE RESULTS | MEET INFORMATION 
 
The Northwest Missouri State University men's and women's cross-country teams will conclude their regular seasons by splitting up this weekend with part of the men's team heading to the Griffon Invite and the women's team along with the rest of the men's team traveling to the Arkansas Chili Pepper Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4.
 
Meet Information: Griffon Invite
The meet will be held at the Missouri Western State Cross Country course with the men's race at 8:45 a.m. (8K).
 
Meet Information: Arkansas Chili Pepper Festival
The meet will be held at the University of Arkansas's cross-country course named Agri Park, with the Bearcat men beginning at 10:25 a.m. (8K), followed by the Bearcat women at 11 a.m. (5K).
 
So far this season the Bearcat men's secured second place, and the Bearcat women's team secured eighth at the Platte River Rumble "Gold" meet on Sept. 5th. The Bearcat's then competed at the Woody Greeno/Jay Dirksen Invitational with both teams taking 5th overall and 2nd in the gold category. 
 
With Coach Wick Cunningham leading the team for the fourth season, the men's and women's teams will wrap up the regular season this week before the 2025 MIAA Championships. The MIAA Championship meet is scheduled for Oct. 25 in Pittsburg, Kansas. Following that, the NCAA Central Region meet will be held on Nov. 8 in Joplin, Missouri. The NCAA Championship meet is set for Nov. 22 in Sacramento, California.
 
The Northwest men are ranked No. 9 in the week three USTFCCCA National Coaches' Poll rankings. 
 
USTFCCCA Week 1 National Coaches' Poll (Oct. 1)
1. Wingate – 240 points 
2. Colo. School of Mines – 232 points
3. Adams State – 224 points
4. Grand Valley State – 214 points
5. Lee (Tenn.) – 210 points
6. Colorado Christian – 199 points
7. Chico State – 190 points
8. Western Colorado – 185 points
9. Northwest Missouri State – 176 points
10. Saginaw Valley State – 169 points
11. West Texas A&M – 161 points
12. UC-Colorado Springs – 129 points
13. Pittsburg State – 143 points
14. Western Washington – 137 points
15. Cal Poly Pomona – 129 points
17. Lewis – 121 points
18. Washburn – 102 points
19. Fort Lewis – 93 points
20. Florida Southern – 89 points
21. Charleston, W.Va. – 80 points
22. Michigan Tech – 78 points
23. Walsh – 64 points
24. Anderson, S.C. – 42 points
25. Ashland – 40 points
26. Biola, Calif. – 36 points
27. Alabama-Huntsville – 33 points
28. Missouri Southern – 28 points
29. Augustana, S.D. – 25 points
30. Davis & Elkins – 12 points
 
The Northwest men are ranked No. 1 in the week three USTFCCCA Central Region rankings. 
 
USTFCCCA Preseason Central Region Rankings (Sept. 30)
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Pittsburg State
3. Washburn
4. Augustana (S.D.)
5. Missouri Southern
6. East Central (Okla.)
7. Missouri Western 
8. Nebraska Kearney
9. Harding 
10. Fort Hays State
 
The Northwest women are ranked No. 9 in the week three USTFCCCA Central Region rankings. 
 
USTFCCCA Preseason Central Region Rankings (Sept. 30)
1. Winona State
2. Pittsburg State
3. Missouri Southern
4. Rogers State
5. Nebraska Kearney
6. Fort Hays State
7. Minnesota State
8. Augustana (S.D.)
9. Northwest Missouri State
10. Washburn


The Bearcats men's team is slated to have another strong year having finished first in MIAA preseason poll with 118 points. Last season the Bearcats had a very successful season winning three team titles including winning its first MIAA Championship in 52 years. The team plans to continue building on that success with the return notable runner Drew Atkins, who finished 19th at 2024 NCAA Division II Championship meet with a time of 30:04.6, giving him the fourth fastest 10K performance in school history.
 
2025 MIAA MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Northwest Missouri [10] – 118 points
2. Pittsburg State [2] – 111 points
3. Nebraska Kearney – 95 points
4. Washburn – 91 points
5. Missouri Southern – 79 points
6. Central Missouri – 69 points
7. Missouri Western – 63 points
8. Fort Hays State – 59 points
9. Rogers State – 42 points
10. Emporia State – 32 points
11. Newman – 22 points
12. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 12 points
[#] - Number of First Place Votes
 
The Northwest Missouri State women's cross-country team is tied for fourth along with Nebraska Kearney in the MIAA preseason poll, collecting 108 points. Pittsburg State (138 pts.), Rogers State (124 pts.), and Fort Hays State (111 pts.) occupy the top three spots ahead of Northwest and Nebraska Kearney. The Bearcat women, who have won three MIAA titles in their history (1995, 1996, and 1997), finished fourth at last season's MIAA Championship meet. 
 
2025 MIAA WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON RANKINGS
1. Pittsburg State [8] – 138 points
2. Rogers State [3] – 124 points
3. Fort Hays State – 111 points
T4. Nebraska Kearney [1] – 108 points
T4. Northwest Missouri – 108 points
6. Missouri Southern [1] – 94 points
7. Washburn – 83 points
8. Emporia State – 62 points
9. Central Missouri – 60 points
10. Missouri Western – 49 points
11. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 35 points
12. Newman – 27 points
13. Central Oklahoma – 15 points 
[#] - Number of First Place Votes