
-Schwartz%2C%20Rena%20(Smith%20College)-2025%20Champions.jpg)
Erikson (BYU), Schwartz (Smith College) Capture Collegiate Mountain Running National Titles at Sunapee Scramble
Sunapee, NH – June 1, 2025 — Zachary Erikson (BYU) and Rena Schwartz (Smith College) won national titles on the rugged hills of New Hampshire’s Mount Sunapee today. The event brought together some of the nation’s top college endurance athletes as they battled steep climbs, slick descents, and unrelenting terrain at Sunday’s Collegiate Mountain Running National Championships. Hosted for the first time at the Sunapee Scramble, a SIX03 Endurance event, this year’s race also served as the USATF Mountain Running Championships—making it one of the most competitive mountain running events on American soil this year.
The brutal course stretched 9.3 miles and packed over 3,300 feet of climbing. Runners faced a punishing 2.3-mile, 1,500-foot climb straight out of the gate, followed by a technical descent—only to do it all over again with an even steeper and longer 3.5-mile second climb. Torrential rain in the days leading up to the event only added to the challenge, turning descents into controlled slides and climbs into mud-caked grinds.
But despite the conditions, two collegiate athletes emerged with convincing wins—and national titles.
Rena Schwartz, a graduate student at Smith College, claimed the women’s collegiate title with a dominant wire-to-wire performance. The former Dartmouth cross-country skier looked right at home in the mountains, charging up the first climb and never letting up. By the time she hit the final descent, she had put a wide gap on the collegiate field for the win—and finished fifth overall in the USATF National Championship, held simultaneously.
Schwartz’s athletic résumé includes representing Team USA at the 2023 FIS Junior & U23 World Cross Country Ski Championships in Norway. On Sunday, she showed she’s just as dangerous on dirt and mud as she is on snow.
Behind her, Gabby DeAngelis of the University of New Hampshire took second. DeAngelis, who recently won the NCAA DIII New England 3,000m steeplechase title with a PR of 10:39, looked strong on the climbs and handled the technical terrain with grit.
Andrea Kuhn of Ohio State University rounded out the top three in the college championship. The Buckeye standout brought track speed to the mountains, with lifetime bests of 15:57 for 5K and 33:29 for 10K—and her strength showed over the long second climb to secure a podium finish.
In the men’s race, it was Zachary Erikson of BYU who stole the show. After finishing runner-up in last year’s championships, the 2018 Foot Locker finalist returned with a vengeance—and made sure there was no doubt this time around.
Erikson broke away early and charged to the summit of Mount Sunapee on the first loop with more than two and a half minutes on his closest collegiate competitors. His gap grew over the second lap, and he crossed the line with a commanding victory. Erikson’s resume includes track personal bests of 8:51 in the steeplechase and 14:10 for 5,000 meters, but his performance Sunday showed he’s just as comfortable with mud on his shoes.
Luke Tkaczyk of Siena College took second. A strong descender, Tkaczyk clawed back time on the downhill sections, showing both technical skill and grit to land the silver spot.
Aaron Newell (SUNY Adirondack) finished third after surging on the final climb. A seasoned mountain runner, Newell used his experience to pace the effort wisely and hammer the final descent to the podium.
Colin Cooper of Western Colorado University—no stranger to elevation—battled for fourth place, representing a program steeped in high-altitude training and mountain terrain. Andrew Boyle, representing UNC Chapel Hill, rounded out the top five. Boyle was among the top climbers early on and showed guts to finish strong despite fading late on the technical descent sections.
The stakes were high, with more than national bragging rights on the line. The top four U.S. men and top three U.S. women in the overall race earned spots on Team USA for the 2025 World Mountain Running Championships, taking place this August in Canfranc, Spain.
On the collegiate side, the Collegiate Running Association (CRA) awarded prize money for the top finishers, continuing its mission to provide competitive opportunities for student-athletes across disciplines. JAMBAR, the official nutrition bar of the CRA, was also handed out to finishers—a sweet reward after a brutal race.
Now in its eleventh-year awarding prize money in road, mountain and trail running, the CRA continues to raise the profile of mountain running within the college athletics world—proving that the future of the sport includes the fast-growing trail and mountain running disciplines.
Additional details:
2025 Collegiate Championships Home
Contact: Collegiate Running Association
###

