The UW-River Falls men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete at the 2026 WIAC Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, hosted by UW-Whitewater at the UW-Whitewater Campus Course.

The women's 6K race is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m., followed by the men's 8K race at 1 p.m. The Falcons look to build on last season's success after both teams recorded their best conference finishes since 2017.

WIAC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Date: Saturday, Oct. 31
Time: Women's 6k, 12 p.m. // Men's 8k, 1 p.m.
Site: Whitewater, Wis. // UW-Whitewater Campus Course
Coverage: Live Results // Meet Information



FALCON RUNNERS TO WATCH

Laina Viere and Adison Wilde return to the conference championships after leading the Falcons to a fourth-place team finish in 2025, the program's best conference result in eight years.

Viere paced UW-River Falls at last season's championship with a 13th-place finish, clocking a time of 21:53.6 in the women's 6k race. Wilde followed closely behind, finishing 21st overall with a time of 22:12.9. Emma Karnitz, Issabella Jeurissen and Jalyssa Groskreutz rounded out the scoring lineup for the Falcons last season. 

Jack Richter and Ryan Pierson headline the returning Falcons on the men's side after helping UW-River Falls secure a seventh-place team finish at the 2025 WIAC Championships, the program's best conference finish since 2017.

Richter led the Falcons at last year's conference meet, placing 22nd overall with a time of 24:58.6 in the men's 8k race. Pierson followed with a 44th-place finish, crossing the line in 25:21.9. Alex Pazdernik and Cooper Smith rounded out the lineup for the Falcons last season. 

Following the conference championships, qualifying Falcons will advance to the NCAA North Regional on Saturday, Nov. 14, hosted by St. Olaf in Northfield, Minn.