Buffs Place Fourth on Both Sides at NCAA Mountain Regional

Women @ NCAA Mountain Regional Championships

Buffs Place Fourth on Both Sides at NCAA Mountain Regional

November 14, 2025 | Cross Country

By: Herman Shelton, Associate Director/Athletic Communications

SALT LAKE CITY| The Colorado men's and women's cross country teams each placed fourth Friday morning at the NCAA Mountain Regional Championships at the Regional Athletic Complex, delivering strong performances in one of the deepest qualifying fields in the nation.

Women's Race
Colorado scored 106 points to finish behind New Mexico, BYU, and Northern Arizona. The Buffs placed five runners inside the top 30 and maintained a tight scoring pack throughout the 6K race.

Sophomore Abbey Nechanicky led the team with a fourteenth place finish in 20 minutes, 45.1 seconds. Junior Jessie Secor followed in twentieth in 20:53.3, and sophomore Juliette Forstrom was twenty first in a personal best of 20:56.8. Freshman Mia Larochelle finished twenty third in 21:05.1, and freshman Ella Hagen closed the scoring in twenty eighth in 21:13.8. Freshman Holly Barker finished thirty second in her regional debut. Sophomore Hannah Prosser did not finish.

New Mexico won the women's title with 45 points, followed by BYU with 47 and Northern Arizona with 76. Colorado was fourth with 106, ahead of Utah in fifth with 120.

Team Finish: Fourth Place, 106 Points
Colorado Results
14. Abbey Nechanicky – 20:45.1
20. Jessie Secor – 20:53.3
21. Juliette Forstrom – 20:56.8 (personal best)
23. Mia Larochelle – 21:05.1
28. Ella Hagen – 21:13.8
32. Holly Barker – 21:22.0
DNF — Hannah Prosser

Top Five Teams
New Mexico – 45
BYU – 47
Northern Arizona – 76
Colorado – 106
Utah – 120

Men's Race
Colorado scored 114 points to place behind New Mexico, BYU, and Northern Arizona. The Buffs put four runners inside the top 30 and showed their strongest postseason depth of the year.

Sophomore Dominic Serem led the Buffs with a 12th place finish in 30 minutes, 21.8 seconds. Sophomore Jake Liebert finished 18th in 30:40.0, junior Dean Casey placed 22nd in 30:45.4, and freshman Kole Mathison placed 30th in 31:04.2, a personal best in his regional debut. Seniors Grady Rauba and Lukas Haug finished 32nd and 33rd, and junior Tanner Newkirk was 36th in 31:12.4, also a personal best.

New Mexico captured the men's title with 37 points, followed by BYU with 67 and Northern Arizona with 82. Colorado placed fourth with 114, ahead of Air Force in fifth with 127.

Team Finish: Fourth Place, 114 Points
Colorado Results
12. Dominic Serem – 30:21.8
18. Jake Liebert – 30:40.0 (first mark)
22. Dean Casey – 30:45.4
30. Kole Mathison – 31:04.2 (personal best)
32. Grady Rauba – 31:06.5
33. Lukas Haug – 31:06.8
36. Tanner Newkirk – 31:12.4 (personal best)

Top Five Teams
New Mexico – 37
BYU – 67
Northern Arizona – 82
Colorado – 114
Air Force – 127

From Head Coach Sean Carlson
"Nothing is official until tomorrow, but we should get both teams through to NCAA. Both teams know NCAA is always a battle and we are ready to go. The men making the national meet that many years in a row speaks a lot to the program that was built before myself and the guys here now. We are here to uphold the standard."

Both Colorado teams will await at large selections for the NCAA Championships, which will be announced Saturday afternoon. The men are looking to advance to the national meet for the thirty third consecutive year. The NCAA Championships will take place November 22 in Columbia, Missouri, at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course.