Men's Cross Country

MIAC announces 2026 Men’s Cross Country Awards

FARMINGTON, Minn. – The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its men's cross country awards on Thursday.

| 2026 MIAC Men's Cross Country Awards |

Saint John’s senior Cole Stencel was named MIAC Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Year, while St. Scholastica first-year Cadyn Vanderwal earned Rookie of the Year honors. St. Olaf head coach Luke Kopnick was celebrated by his peers as the MIAC Coach of the Year. The MIAC also recognized its All-Conference and Honorable Mention runners from last Saturday's conference meet.
 
Stencel (Mapleton, Minn. / Maple River) received MIAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year honors after finishing first among 178 runners at the 2026 conference championships with an 8K time of 24:56.1. Stencel is the 11th different Johnnie – and the first since 2007 – to win the individual MIAC crown in men’s cross country. He is also the first SJU runner since Chris Erichsen in 2007 to be named MIAC Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year.
 
Vanderwal (Ortonville, Minn. / Ortonville) received MIAC Men’s Cross Country Rookie of the Year honors upon being the first first-year competitor to cross the finish line at the 2026 MIAC Men’s Cross Country Championships. Vanderwal finished sixth overall with an 8K time of 25:40.4. He is the first CSS runner in program history to receive an individual MIAC postseason award in men’s cross country.
 
Kopnick (1st season) guided the Oles to their fifth straight conference title and the 16th in program history in 2026. St. Olaf placed five men’s runners in the top 15 and 11 in the top 25 at the 2026 MIAC Championships. This is Kopnick’s first MIAC Coach of the Year award.
 
In addition to the top individual honors, the MIAC Men's Cross Country All-Conference and Honorable Mention runners were also recognized. The top 15 finishers in Saturday's MIAC Championship race received All-Conference honors, while finishers 16-25 received Honorable Mention.
 
A complete list of 2026 men's cross country honorees can be found below.
 
| 2026 MIAC Men's Cross Country Awards |