Results 

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's finished third out of 11 teams at the 2026 MIAC Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, at St. Olaf. 

Senior Cole Stencel (Mapleton, Minn./Maple River) won the race by 13 seconds, becoming the 11th Johnnie and 14th overall to win the MIAC individual championship. He crossed the line in 24.56.1 to claim SJU's first individual crown since Chris Erichsen '08 - a 2023 inductee into the J-Club Hall of Honor - won in 2007 at the Como Park G.C. in St. Paul. 

The host Oles claimed the team title with 36 points after four of their runners finished in the top 10. Carleton finished four points ahead of the Johnnies in second (88), while SJU totaled 92 total points. Macalester (115) was fourth, followed by Bethel (128) and Gustavus Adolphus (158). 

SJU Cross Country MIAC Champions 
-John Cragg (1967, 1969, 1970) 
-Chuck Ceronsky (1968) 
-Joe Skaja (1971) 
-Dave Lyndgaard (1972) 
-Jim Gathje (1985) 
-Joe Bohlke (1988) 
-Jeb Myers (1996) 
-John Krueger (1998, 1999) 
-Nick Thoemke (2000) 
-Chris Erichsen (2007) 
-Cole Stencel (2026) 

Senior Vincent Kaluza (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori) was next behind Stence in 18th for the Johnnies, crossing the line in 26:10.3. Senior Jacob Malecha (Lonsdale, Minn./New Prague) took 23rd in 26:21.1 and freshman Quinn Carroll (West Fargo, N.D./Shanley) took 26th (26:33.6) in his first MIAC race.  

Freshman Tanner Long (Savage, Minn./Prior Lake) finished 39th (26:49.9), followed by Lars Molenkamp (Almere, Netherlands/Oostvaarders College) in 40th (26:50.4) and sophomore Erick Montalvo (St. Paul, Minn./Roseville Area) in 46th (26:54.5). 

The Johnnies return home to host the annual SJU Fall Finale at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6, in Collegeville.