Montana State Billings Places Ninth and Tenth at GNAC
Yellowjacket cross country teams earned six personal records at the conference championships in Monmouth, Oregon.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Running
The Montana State University Billings men's and women's cross country teams competed at the GNAC Championships at the Ash Creek Reserve in Monmouth, Oregon. The women placed ninth with 261 points and the men placed tenth with 257 points, while Micah Strong and Logan Milek were named Athletes of the Meet.
Why it matters
The results set the program's standing in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference heading into the postseason. Strong and Milek's recognition highlights individual performances that carry the team toward the NCAA Division II West Regionals.
Micah Strong ran 22:33.7 in the women's 6K, placing 41st, while Logan Milek ran 25:09.7 in the men's 8K, placing 33rd. Western Washington won both conference titles, and the regional field's full qualification cutoffs have not been reported.
The players
Montana State University Billings
Montana State University Billings is a public university in Billings, Montana, and a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
Great Northwest Athletic Conference
The Great Northwest Athletic Conference is an NCAA Division II athletic conference of colleges in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain West regions.
The details
Western Washington won both the women's and men's conference championships at the meet hosted by Western Oregon University. The women's race was a 6K and the men's race was an 8K, with Yellowjacket athletes earning six personal records across the two events.
Timeline
November 7, 2026: GNAC Championships held at Ash Creek Reserve in Monmouth, Oregon.
November 21, 2026: NCAA DII West Regionals at Arcade Creek Course in Sacramento, California.
Season Trajectory
The GNAC Championships determine how the Yellowjacket teams are positioned for the NCAA Division II West Regionals in Sacramento. Their finishes in ninth and tenth place frame the season's final stretch before the regional competition.
The regional qualification outcome will determine whether the Yellowjacket runners advance beyond the conference stage. Fantasy and roster tracking for individual runners will depend on how Strong and Milek perform at the regional meet.
The takeaway
Individual performance drives team results in cross country, as Strong and Milek's recognition shows. Readers following the program should watch the regional results to see how the conference finishes translate into postseason qualification.
What happens next
The Yellowjackets will compete at the NCAA DII West Regionals on November 21, 2026, at the Arcade Creek Course in Sacramento, California.
Further reading
For more running coverage, see our Running section.
