LEWISTON, Idaho – Trinity Western's Catherine Roper led TWU at the Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championships, as she finished 15th overall to earn CCC All-Conference honours with a time of 22:14.3 over 6000m Friday at the LC State Cross Country Trail. 

The Spartans women's team finished sixth overall in the 12-team field, with Ava Gauthier (29th – 23:03.9), Livia Armitage (43rd – 23:54.0), Nelle Liefsoens (46th – 23:58.1) and Ava Rodway (52nd – 24:10.7) scoring. 

On the men's side, the TWU team made history, winning the Spartans first-ever Cascade Collegiate Conference Cross Country Championship. The Spartans were led by Justin Kiplagat, who won the men's individual title in convincing fashion. Kiplagat crossed the line nearly 10 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher, clocking a time of 24:00.5 over 8000m to earn his first-ever conference crown. 
 
Scoring for the Spartans men were David Mutai (10th – 24:47.2), Arjun Sandhu (12th – 24:49.2), Elijah Headley (15th – 24:51.7) and Malcolm Reid (19th – 24:56.5) as TWU finished with 57 points, which was nine points clear of second-place Southern Oregon. 

Kiplagat, Mutai, Sandhu and Headley all earned CCC All-Conference honours. 

Shane Wiebe, TWU's Director and Head Coach of Track & Field and Cross Country, and Sarah Inglis, TWU's Lead Middle Distance Coach, shared the CCC Coach of the Year Award for men's cross country. 
 
The men's championship marks the first cross country banner TWU has won since both the men's and women's teams won the Canada West title in 2016. 
 
The Spartans men's team has now won the individual title at the CCC Championships in each of their first two years in the CCC, after former Spartan Yemane Mulugeta won in 2025. 
 
TWU Results 
WOMEN
15th – Catherine Roper – 22:14.3 
29th – Ava Gauthier – 23:03.9
43rd – Livia Armitage – 23:54.0 
46th – Nelle Liefsoens – 23:58.1 
52nd – Ava Rodway – 24:10.7
58th – Hadassah Duff – 24:38.8 
60th – Janaya Sandhu – 24:45.7 

MEN
1st – Justin Kiplagat – 24:00.5
10th – David Mutai – 24:47.2
12th – Arjun Sandhu – 24:49.2
15th – Elijah Headley – 24:51.7
19th – Malcolm Reid – 24:56.5
32nd – Lucien Dixon-Lawless – 25:29.7
50th – Noah Louwerse – 25:57.4 
52nd – Aven Kifle – 26:05.4
 
UP NEXT
TWU will now prepare to compete in the NAIA Championships Nov. 20 in Vancouver, Wash. 
 
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 15 U SPORTS team championships and 35 Canada West team championships.
 
About Trinity Western University
Recognized for quality, TWU has received seven consecutive A+ rankings for Quality of Teaching and Learning, holds three Canada Research Chairs, and wins national championships in CIS sports. More importantly, lives are changed at TWU through its whole-person, Christ-centred approach to education. With a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, and adult degree-completion programs, TWU equips leaders of character and competence to make a positive impact in the lives of others.  
 
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