Toeing the line against the nation’s top runners, UAA’s John Peckham and Ty Elliott triumphed, earning their first career All-American honors.

Peckham, a graduate student, placed 25th, conquering the 10-kilometer course at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in 30 minutes, 27 seconds. Elliott, a junior, nabbed 38th in 30:43, as the dynamic duo led the Seawolves to a 16th-place showing in Kenosha, Wis.

Immediately after the starting gun sounded, UAA positioned itself well with Peckham and Elliott launching into the top-90 by the first kilometer in 3:02.

As the race progressed, the pair continued to pass runners, moving into 35th and 50th by the halfway point with 5K splits of 15:15 and 15:20, respectively.

At the 8K mark, Peckham and Elliott had moved up four and three spots apiece, before jockeying for position in the final two kilometers.

Peckham finished 25th to collect his first All-American honors — a significant improvement from his past two showings — after taking 91st last fall and 198th in 2023.

This season was transformational for the grad student from Sisters, Ore., who has overcome season-ending injuries and shortfalls throughout his collegiate career. Earlier this season, Peckham won his first GNAC title, becoming UAA’s 14th men’s conference champion and earning GNAC Athlete of the Year.

For Elliott, a Grace Christian grad, a lean at the line sealed the deal to narrowly achieve his first All-American honors. The feat was a colossal improvement from 2023, when he finished 228th. This time, Elliott’s performance came after a season supplemented by long hours of cross-training and over 100 miles per week on the bike.

Peckham’s and Elliott’s combined efforts represent the most All-Americans at cross country nationals for UAA since Wesley Kirui (29th) and Felix Kemboi (37th) in 2019, while Cole Nash last achieved the feat from 2021-22.

Behind the decorated duo were debutants Ben Browning in 129th (32:02), Ethan Ackroyd in 151st (32:13), Palmer’s Matt Rongitsch (Colony) in 181st (32:30), Anthony Porter in 217th (33:00) and Samuel Roy in 243rd (33:45).

The Seawolves finished 16th with 456 points, placing four spots higher than their rank and achieving their highest team finish since 2018 when they took eighth.

“These guys just kept finding magic this season,” said coach Chas Davis in a press release. “They’re going to remember this as something truly worthwhile and rewarding (for) the rest of their lives.”

“What a special season.”

Adams State’s Kidus Begashaw won the race in 29:38, while Wingate won the team title with 62 points.

Also in the race was UAF’s Dexter Delaney, who became the first male runner in the GNAC era to represent the Nanooks at the national meet.

The freshman phenom finished 130th in 32:02 — one spot behind former Nanook Ben Browning of UAA — after a strong first kilometer alongside the likes of Peckham and Elliott. He split 15:28 at the 5K mark, but was unable to maintain the initial pace, closing in 16:34.

Delaney had a historic season for the Nanooks, which included winning the Blue & Gold meet to become UAF’s first male winner in recent memory, leading UAF in all seven races, and earning All-Conference and All-Region honors, in addition to being named GNAC Freshman of the Year — all firsts for the northernmost NCAA team.

“Dexter (Delaney) had a tremendous season,” said coach Conrad Haber in a press release. “He achieved a lot of milestones within a short timeframe and gained valuable experience at the national meet that he’ll be able to build on for years to come.”

The freshman also holds the fastest 8K (24:24) and 10K (29:45) times in program history, while also setting the bar for the Nanooks in his national debut.

“This season has been an incredible experience that far exceeded the expectations I had coming into it,” said Delaney in a press release. “To qualify for nationals as a freshman was a dream come true. I’m extremely proud of this fall and thankful for the teammates, coaches, and family who supported me along the way. I can’t wait for next year!”

One year after finishing two spots shy of an All-American, Eagle River’s Emily Walsh left nothing up to chance.

The Cedarville graduate student covered the 6-kilometer race in 20:56 to finish 31st, earning her second career All-American honor and leading the Lady Jackets to a seventh-place showing — matching their best finish in program history.

Walsh ran confidently while increasing her pace throughout much of the race. After a first kilometer in 3:31, the Cedarville standout found herself in 42nd, before passing 15 runners by the second kilometer.

While she peaked at 20th during the third kilometer, splitting approximately 17:30 at the 5K mark, Walsh maintained a top-25 position until the final kilometer and held on to claim All-American status.

The race marks Walsh’s second career All-American, after collecting honors following an eighth-place showing in the 1,500 earlier this spring. It was also her third time going sub-21 for 6K, while she also earned All-Conference and All-Region honors this season.

Adams State’s Tristian Spence won the race in 20:11, while Grand Valley State narrowly won the team title in 65 points.

At the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Columbia, Mo., Ava Earl contributed to Northwestern’s top finish in the modern era of the meet.

The Girdwood native and three-time national qualifier clocked 20:22 for 6K, finishing 165th in the deep field and helping the ‘Cats to an 18th-place finish.

Earl, a graduate student and South High grad, opened with a blistering first kilometer in 3:09. While her pace fluctuated on the undulating course, she managed to split 16:58 for 5K, before crossing the line as Northwestern’s fifth scorer.

Like the ‘Cats have done all season, they ran together, separated by just 31.9 seconds to boast the second-smallest five-spread out of 32 teams.

Earl’s time is her fastest of her three national appearances, while she previously finished 64th (2023) and 195th (2022).

After leading the ‘Cats to just their fourth appearance in program history (1985, 2002, 2022 & 2025) following a historic season, Earl helped Northwestern earn its second-highest finish at nationals, which took 13th in its debut. Northwestern’s 18th-place finish marks the program’s best showing since the championship field’s expansion in 1998.

Kodiak’s Trevor Dunbar, an associate head coach at Virginia, was also in attendance. Led by Gary Martin’s seventh-place showing, the UVA men took seventh, while the women finished 24th.

At the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships in Spartanburg, S.C., Anchorage’s Elizabeth Page made her debut alongside Swarthmore, which qualified for the prestigious meet for the first time in program history.

Page, a sophomore and South High grad, covered the 6K course in 24:28 to finish 267th as Swarthmore’s fourth scorer. The Garnet took 32nd in their team debut.

Also in attendance was Sitka’s Connor Hitchcock, who was an alternate for St. Olaf, which placed 13th — five sport higher than its rank. Hitchcock, a freshman, helped the Oles secure the MIAC title earlier this season and earned MIAC Rookie of the Year.

Last, but certainly not least, Kenai’s Jayna Boonstra set a personal best at the NAIA Cross Country Championships in Tallahassee, Fla.

The Carroll (Mont.) junior navigated the 6K course in 23:00 to place 113th, knocking off nearly 10 seconds from her previous best.

Boonstra moved up steadily throughout the race, passing 32 runners during its entirety. She was also the second scorer for Carroll College, which finished 20th with 506 points.

Paired with the men’s team, which finished 16th, the Saints earned their highest collective group finish since 2015.

“This national meet really demonstrated the depth and growth these athletes have generated in the program over this season of hard work and beyond,” said coach Shannon Flynn in a press release. “We feel really positive about that momentum, and it was so fun to see these runners soaking up the experience of racing and of spending time together.”