Washburn Wins First MIAA Men's Cross Country Title
The Ichabods claimed the conference crown with a 51-48 team-scoring win over Pittsburg State in St. Joseph, Mo.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Track & Field
Washburn's men's cross country team won its first-ever MIAA Championship on Saturday, edging Pittsburg State 51-48 in team scoring. Sebastiaan Horselenberg finished third individually in 24:43.9.
Why it matters
The title is the program's first conference championship in this event and sets up a regional appearance. Washburn advances to the NCAA Central Regional, giving the team a chance to compete for a berth in the national meet.
Horselenberg's 24:43.9 time earned third place individually, while three Washburn runners finished in the top six and five in the top 20. Pittsburg State finished second in team scoring with 48 points.
The players
Washburn University
Washburn is a public university in Topeka, Kansas, whose athletic teams compete as the Ichabods in the NCAA Division II Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.
Sebastiaan Horselenberg
Horselenberg is a Washburn distance runner who placed third individually at the MIAA Championship.
The details
Washburn runners Esteban Boisseau and Brody Anderson were named All-MIAA First Team, while Lukas Mehl and Adrian Lehman earned honorable mention. The victory came at the conference meet held in St. Joseph, Mo.
Timeline
Saturday, November 7, 2026: Washburn wins the MIAA men's cross country championship.
Saturday, November 21, 2026: Washburn competes in the NCAA Central Regional Championship in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Season Trajectory
The win gives Washburn a conference title and a berth in the NCAA Central Regional, shifting its season from conference competition toward the national qualifying stage. It positions the Ichabods among the MIAA's leading programs heading into postseason meets.
The regional berth on November 21 is the next concrete step for the team's postseason. Fans following Washburn can track the Sioux Falls meet as the team's next scheduled competition.
The takeaway
Winning a first conference title often signals a program's rising depth, as Washburn's five runners finishing in the top 20 suggest. The Sioux Falls regional will test whether that depth holds against a larger field.
What happens next
Washburn's men's cross country team will compete in the NCAA Central Regional Championship on November 21, 2026, in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Further reading
For more on collegiate running, see Track & Field coverage across Topeka.
