OXFORD, Ala. - Coastal Alabama - North Cross Country opened the 2026 season Friday morning, Sept. 4 at the Foothills Invite in Oxford, Ala., with both the men's and women's teams competing against a strong field featuring several NCAA Division I programs and fellow Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) competition.

Led by fourth-year head cross country coach Misti Nims, the Coyotes gained valuable experience against a challenging field as they begin the 2026 campaign.

The Coastal Alabama - North Women's program finished 17th among 20 teams in the season-opening 5k, led by newcomer Hannah Galloway, who posted a time of 20:34.2 to finish 59th overall. Sophomore Roxanna Mendoza followed in at 21:59.3, placing 95th, while Kayden Bland finished 119th with a time of 23:16.6. Elizabeth Reynoso crossed the finish line in 23:53.2 to place 125th, with Allison Reeves rounding out the Coyotes' top five in 33:33.0.

The women's program also made history ahead of Friday's meet, receiving votes in the USTFCCCA NJCAA national rankings for the first time in program history.

Meanwhile on the men's side, the Coastal - North Men's program placed 11th out of 17 teams in a competitive 5k field.

First-year Yote Remi Kepran paced the Coyotes with a time of 17:02.7, finishing 58th overall, while fellow freshman Tyler Harris followed in at 17:22.1 to place 74th. Second-year Coyote Riley Valdez finished 85th at 17:44.9.

Darwin Vasques and Aidan Pierce rounded out the men's top five, with Vasques recording a time of 18:29.7 to finish 109th and Pierce coming in at 19:03.3 to place 121st.

The Coyotes also had four additional runners compete, with Noah Wyatt finishing at 20:57.6, Jaylen Walker at 21:18.1, Cade Gratteau at 23:01.2 and Bradley Campbell at 24:08.7.

Coastal Alabama - North Cross Country will look to build on Friday's opening meet as the Coyotes continue their 2026 season against a competitive ACCC and regional field.

Headed to Montevallo Next

The Coyotes will compete in the second meet of the 2026 season on Friday, Sept. 18 at the Montevallo Classic in Montevallo, Ala. The Montevallo Classic is an evening race, with the women's 5k kicking things off at 7:30 p.m. CT. The men's race is set for 8:15 p.m. CT. 

 

For coverage of Coastal Alabama North Athletics, follow the Coyotes on social media at /CoastalAlabamaNorth (Facebook), @CoastalAL_North (Twitter), and @coastalal_north (Instagram), or visit the official home of the Coastal Alabama North Athletic Department at https://coastalcoyotessnorth.com/index.aspx.