Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina head cross country and track & field coach Jesse Norman today announced the 2026 schedule for his men's and women's cross country teams, which consists of four regular season meets spread across three different states and culminates with the 2026 Southern Conference Championship back in Tryon, N.C.
Three of WCU's combined five meets will be run in North Carolina, with one in Alabama and another in South Carolina.
"We're excited for this season's schedule," said Norman, the 2001 Southern Conference men's individual champion and league runner of the year. "We're going a little outside our normal rotation to run at the Southern Showcase this year, but it should be a good PR level course and competition for us. "Having the conference championship again at Tryon is exciting for the program."
For the second season in a row, the Catamount cross country season opens only a short stride away in Bryson City against the UNC Asheville Bulldogs in the 'Duel in the Valley' held at the sacred Cherokee Kituwah Mound on Friday, Sept. 4. Last year, the Bulldogs secured the victory on both sides, edging the Catamounts 32-23 in the men's 6K race and claiming the women's 3,000-meter, 38-19.
WCU then swings down to Huntsville, Ala. for the Southern Showcase on Friday, Sept. 18. The Jacksonville State-hosted meet marks the first time the Catamounts have competed in the state of Alabama since the 2013 SoCon Championships were held in Birmingham. Last year, three SoCon teams competed at the Southern Showcase, with Chattanooga, ETSU, and Mercer representing the conference.
The Catamounts close September in Mill Spring, N.C. for the Fall Collegiate Cross Country Invitational on Friday, Sept. 25. Held at the same site as the 2026 Southern Conference championships, September's final meet gives the Catamounts a chance to get a lay of the land of the cross country course at the Tryon Equestrian Center facility.
Closing the regular season, WCU runs in the Upstate Invitational in Spartanburg, S.C. on Saturday, Oct. 17. The Catamounts have run at the USC Upstate-hosted meet in each of the last six seasons, taking second on the men's side the last two seasons and running to fourth on the women's side a year ago.
For a second year in a row, the 2026 Southern Conference Championships are scheduled for the Tryon Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, N.C. on Saturday, Oct. 31. The Catamount women's team earned its best team finish since 2003, taking fourth place in the 6K. The Tryon facility will see changes to the track this season.
The Catamounts retain most of their top performers from the conference championship a year ago, with nine of WCU's scoring ten returning for their respective squads. The entirety of the men's scoring five returns, including top finishers Matthias Peterson, Jaleb Saunders and Matthew Womack, while the women's team returns their top three finishers in Katherine Hopkins, Peyton Skoglund, and Braelyn-Shea Wahy.
The 2026 Southeast Regionals will be held on familiar ground, as USC Upstate hosts the regional meet in Spartanburg, S.C. at the Milliken Research Center on Nov. 13. The 2026 NCAA National Championships are set to be held in Terre Haute, Ind. on Nov. 21 at the Indiana State LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount cross country and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports) and Twitter (@catamounts, @catamountxctf).
