SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- For the first time since the program's revival in 2010, John Brown University men's cross country has qualified two individuals for the NAIA National Championships in the same season, with junior Sam Burkett and freshman Derek Nájera earning berths in the 2026 national field, the NAIA national office announced Tuesday (Nov. 10).
The two Golden Eagles secured their selections through their performances at the Sooner Athletic Championships on Saturday (Nov. 7) at Pollard's Field, where Burkett finished fourth and Nájera placed 12th to help John Brown take third in the nine-team field.
Under NAIA qualification rules, the four highest-placing runners from nonqualifying teams earn individual berths in conferences with six to 11 teams, provided they finish among the top 15 scoring places.
Burkett, an Olathe, Kan., native, returns to the national stage for the second consecutive season after covering the conference championship's 8,000-meter course in a collegiate-best 24:49. The performance matched the second-fastest 8K in John Brown history and established the program's fastest time at an SAC Championship, earning Burkett his third consecutive All-Conference honor. After returning from an early-season injury, the junior also finished 10th at the Blazing Tiger NAIA Classic in October.
A year ago, Burkett made his national championship debut in Tallahassee, Fla., finishing 155th among 323 competitors in 26:19. After sitting 234th at the one-kilometer checkpoint, he climbed 79 places over the remainder of the race, posting the eighth-fastest JBU performance at the national championships.
Nájera, a native of Cartago, Costa Rica, will make his first national championship appearance after an impressive collegiate debut season. The freshman posted a career-best 25:14 at the SAC Championships, improving on the 25:17 he ran while finishing third in his first collegiate 8K at the Golden Eagle Invitational on Oct. 10. His conference championship performance ranks eighth on JBU's all-time 8K list.
The freshman also earned SAC Men's Runner of the Week recognition on Sept. 15 after placing eighth among 173 competitors at the Queen City After Dark in Springfield, Mo. Nájera covered the 6K course in 18:46, leading John Brown to the highest NAIA team finish in the 13-team field.
Since the program's revival in 2010, John Brown has produced six different men's individual national qualifiers, accounting for 11 championship berths. Josh Uzelac (2015–17) and Ben Martin (2018–20) each earned three consecutive selections, while Jean-Benoit Merte (2022) and Chase Schermer (2024) made one national appearance apiece.
Burkett, who first qualified in 2025, joins Uzelac and Martin as the only Golden Eagles to secure multiple individual national championship berths during that span, while Nájera becomes the sixth different qualifier in the program's modern era. Of the 11 berths earned, nine have resulted in completed national championship appearances, with the two 2026 selections still ahead.
The Golden Eagles will compete in the 71st Annual NAIA Men's Cross Country National Championships on Friday (Nov. 20) at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site in Vancouver, Wash. The men's 8K race is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Central (10:30 a.m. Pacific), with live coverage available on the NAIA Network.
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