SALEM, Ore. -- The George Fox cross country team competed at the George Oja Invitational in their last meet before the NWC Championships. 

Racing in the same place where the conference meet will be held, it was a good day for Fox's times, with 12 Bruins earning personal bests. The men finished third with a score of 156, and women placed fourth with a 107. 

Top Performances
Senior Caden Hildenbrand was the first mark of the day for the Bruins, finishing with a season's best of 24:26.0, slotting in 27th place. Westin Madden tracked him closely in 28th, a second behind with 24:27.4, a personal best also on his record. 

Andrew Dewar fit in the top 30 exactly, keeping the personal record streak going, with a time of 24:29.4. Caleb Hawkins hopped on that train, claiming another PB, running 24:33.3 to put him in 33rd. Hawkins' time was good for the fastest time for a freshman in program history, and stands as one of the fastest times in NWC history, and the third-fastest time run by a freshman in Division III in 2026.

Fox was on fire, with three more personal bests following. First, Carson Stockwell finished with 24:58.9 (54th). Makai Peak was up next in 79th place, coming in with 25:27.1. Isaac Montanes brought up the rear with 25:29.2 (81st). 

For the women, Breanna Schmitt continued her torrid season, paving the way for the Bruins. The Bruin star finished second overall and was the top D-III finisher with a personal best of 20:53.2; Schmitt's mark was good for third all-time in program history, just 0.2 seconds off of Jill Beals' 1991 time.

Chloe Cook was next for Fox in 14th place, tracking 21:33.4, also a personal best. Hope Bridge showed a season's best with 21:46.4, placing her at 22nd.

To no surprise, another PB was added to the collection, Senior Aubree Carr owning it, 22:11.2 (38th). Karina Rodriguez crossed the finish line at 22:21.8, 52nd, and a personal best of her own. 

Natalie Oathout and Freshman Claire Matthews closed out the run, both finding personal bests. Oathout with 22:24.8 (58th), and Matthews, 22:25.1 (59th).

Both the men and women found themselves in the top three for team scores. The men came in third with 156. University of Portland claimed first (48), and Western Oregon came in second with 72. Jack Gladfelter of Corban took first individually, running 23:26.0. 

The women grabbed fourth overall with a 107. Eastern Washington was first, 88, Carleton (91) and Western Oregon (98) trailing. Alauna Carstens from Evergreen State ran 20:38.5, to finish first place. 

Coach's Thoughts
"Overall, a very strong day for the men's team. We looked like we put one together quite well today," Bruin head coach Mike Wilson said, "We competed with grit, and I was pumped to see us level up from two weeks ago. If we can continue to show up each day with that energy, focus, and fire, I think we can do some really nice stuff in the postseason. This is a national level team and they'll be the far out favorite to defend that conference title."

On the women's side, I think we could have run a bit better as a whole. We didn't lock in super well in the mid race, and looked a little tired from the heavy training. I think we'll work on getting everyone feeling a little fresher as we get ready for postseason races and we'll be ready to defend that conference title and punch a national ticket! It's a talented group, and I'm excited to see what they can do down the stretch."

What Happens Next
The Bruin runners will close out their regular season in the big meet at the NWC Championships — hosted by Fox — on Saturday, October 31st; men begin at 10 a.m., the women at 11 a.m.