App State Men Win Sun Belt Cross Country Title
The Mountaineers' men's team claimed their fourth straight Sun Belt cross country championship, with all eight scoring runners placing in the top 15.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Running
Appalachian State's men's cross country team won the Sun Belt Championship with 21 points, its fourth consecutive title. The women's team finished fourth with 108 points at the same meet.
Why it matters
The men's title extends the program's dominance in the Sun Belt conference and sets up the next stage of the postseason. Results at this meet help determine which teams advance to regional competition.
Thomas Wlazlowski won the 8K in 23:33.4 and Noah Martinson finished third in 23:51.7. Josie Jackson placed ninth in the women's 5K in 17:45.4, while the full team scoring breakdown was not provided.
The players
Thomas Wlazlowski
Wlazlowski is an Appalachian State distance runner who won the men's 8K at the Sun Belt Championship in 23:33.4.
Appalachian State University
Appalachian State is a public university in Boone, North Carolina, whose cross country program has repeatedly competed for Sun Belt titles.
The details
The men's race was an 8K and the women's race a 5K, held at the Sun Belt Championship on Friday, Oct. 31. The men's squad placed all eight runners in the top 15, while the women's team finished fourth overall.
Timeline
Friday, Oct. 31, 2026: Sun Belt Championship cross country meet held.
Friday, Nov. 13, 2026: Team continues season at regionals in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Season Trajectory
The men's fourth consecutive Sun Belt title extends a run that positions the program as the conference's standard-bearer heading into regionals. The women's fourth-place finish keeps the team in contention for a postseason berth while the men's side moves on with momentum.
The regional meet on Nov. 13 determines which runners advance, so fans tracking fantasy or collegiate standings should watch the Spartanburg results closely. Individual finishes like Jackson's ninth-place 5K showing are the stats most likely to carry forward into postseason seeding.
The takeaway
Consistent depth, with all eight men's scorers in the top 15, is what sustained the program's fourth straight conference title and is the key indicator to watch at regionals.
What happens next
The team competes at the regional meet in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on Friday, Nov. 13, 2026.
Further reading
For more on distance racing and training, explore the Running section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Appalachian.
