2026 NCAA NIAGARA REGIONAL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
Saturday, November 14, 2026 – 11 AM/12 PM
Hosted by Fredonia
THE MATCHUP… The Bengals are set to continue their championship season as they will head to Fredonia for NCAA Niagara Regional Championships. Coming off SUNYAC Championships two weeks ago, the men finished fourth overall while the women finished fifth.
THE BENGAL MEN BREAKDOWN… The men have posted another strong season led by
Ricky Curiel (East Amherst, NY/Clarence) and
Noah Holden (Clarence Center, NY/Clarence) who each earned All-SUNYAC honors this season. Both were First Team All-SUNYAC as Holden finished fourth overall and Curiel was fifth. Holden was also inducted into the SUNYAC Cross Country Hall of Fame.
Luke Triplet (Depew, NY/Depew) was also recognized for his outstanding academic accomplishments earning the SUNYAC Elite 20 Award.
At last season's regional meet, Curiel picked up All-Region honors following his 30
th place finish. As a team, the Bengal men matched their best team finish since 2012 at 14
th overall.
THE BENGAL WOMEN BREAKDOWN… The Bengal women are coming off an outstanding conference meet where they posted their best team finish since 2001.
Ayla Harrington (Lima, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima) led the way in her championship meet debut with a time of 25:02 on the 6k course.
Heidi House (Sanborn, NY/Starpoint),
Katelyn Becker (Buffalo, NY/School for Applied Tech), and
Jorja Smith (Tonawanda, NY/Kenmore East) all finished back-to-back-to-back for the Bengals shortly after.
At last season's regional meet, the women finished 18
th overall which was their best team finish since at least 2007.
ASSESSING THE COMPETITION… Buffalo State will see the likes of nearly 30 teams across the region. In 2025, Geneseo beat NYU on the men's side for the team title while NYU returned the favor on the women's side. Among the SUNYAC schools, Cortland was the top team on both sides.
