BYU-bound runners win back-to-back NXN titles

BYU head men’s cross country coach Ed Eyestone has successfully recruited eight athletes who have placed in the top 50 at Nike Cross Nationals within the last two years.

Last season, Eyestone signed six top-30 finishers at the 2024 Nike Cross Nationals. Those recruits included 2024 NXN champion Charlie Vause, who was one of six athletes to sign with BYU in the 2025 recruiting class.

The only athlete to announce his commitment before competing at NXN was Ben Crane, who made the announcement on Nov. 6, 2024, through an Instagram post.

In the months following, Eyestone was hard at work recruiting more top NXN finishers.

Ben Montgomery’s signing was the first to be announced following NXN. The BYU track and field Instagram account made a post on Dec. 30, 2024, to announce his signing 23 days after he competed at NXN.

BYU’s momentum carried into early 2025, announcing Kyle Steadman and Vause’s signings on Jan. 23 and Feb. 10, respectively. Thirteen days later, on Feb. 27, Jase Burton announced his commitment on Instagram.

The final recruit in the class of 2025 to announce their commitment was Tayvon Kitchen on April 21.

Eyestone also secured his first class of 2026 athlete, Malachi Schoenherr, on Feb. 25. Austin Plewe, Ben Lee and Jackson Spencer announced their commitments to BYU in Sept.

Spencer and Lee both competed at NXN in 2025 and placed first and 41st, respectively. Schoenherr and Plewe did not compete at NXN.

 

Name	Class	NXN Place	Announcement Date
Charlie Vause	2025	1	Feb. 10, 2025
Jackson Spencer	2026	1	Sept. 9, 2025
Tayvon Kitchen	2025	11	April 21, 2025
Ben Crane	2025	14	Nov. 6, 2024
Jase Burton	2025	17	Feb 27, 2025
Ben Montgomery	2025	23	Dec. 30, 2024
Kyle Steadman	2025	29	Jan. 23, 2025
Ben Lee	2026	41	Sept. 24, 2025
Malachi Schoenherr	2026	N/A	Feb. 25, 2025
Austin Plewe	2026	N/A	Sept. 8, 2025