NAMPA, Idaho – Northwest Nazarene's men's and women's cross country teams are both ranked in the NCAA Division II West Region in the first regional rankings of the 2026 season.

The women's team is now also receiving regional recognition, marking the first time in more than a decade that the NNU women have appeared in the West Region rankings. The Nighthawks were ranked No. 9 in the West Region in October 2011. With this historic start to the season, the women will look to continue their climb in the GNAC and regional rankings.

The men remain at No. 7 in the West Region, holding their spot from the preseason rankings. NNU opened the 2026 season at Gonzaga's Clash of the Inland Northwest, where the women finished second and the men finished fourth. The women's team had five runners finish in the top 27, while all seven Nighthawks finished the 6K race under 23 minutes. The strong performance helped the women earn their spot in this week's regional rankings.

The Nighthawks will continue their season on September 18 at their home meet, where both teams will look to build on their strong starts to the season.