Cross-country delivered a strong showing at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships at Lehigh University this past Friday, with the men’s team winning the regional title and the women’s team placing fifth against a deep and competitive field. By placing first, the men’s team punched their ticket to NCAA nationals while sophomore Meg Madison and junior Anna McNatt from the women’s team earned individual qualifications.
“We emphasized the value of placing our pack into the top 25 and racing the other top teams from the mile to the finish line,” head coach Brad Hunt told The Daily Princetonian.
The Tiger women showed their gritty race style and teamwork-driven performances present all season. The team placed fifth, behind only West Virginia, Georgetown, Penn State, and Villanova, three of whom are nationally ranked.
“We knew we were one of the five best teams in attendance and we accepted the challenge of racing some of the best teams and individuals in the NCAA,” Hunt said.
Madison once again proved to be one of the region’s elite runners, placing eighth overall in 19:47.8, earning All-Region honors. She moved up steadily throughout the race, using a strong final mile to secure a top-10 finish.
McNatt raced a tactical race to earn her 12th place finish in 19:51.3, also earning All-Region honors and providing a crucial low score for the Tigers.
McNatt described the meet as a “reflection of the consistency we’ve had as a team this season.” This consistency will take McNatt and Madison to the NCAA national championship next Saturday, Nov. 22 in Columbia, Mo.
“The results over the season speak to our ability to be at full strength when it mattered most,” Hunt wrote to the ‘Prince.’ “We were purposefully patient to kick off the year, knowing that late October and mid-November are the two most important meets of the year.”
First-year Caroline Barton and sophomore Emma de Jong both raced 6k personal records of 20:06.6 and 20:12.4 to finish 22nd and 25th, respectively.
“We have a fantastic team culture that continues to shine in the way the women support, encourage and challenge each other,” Hunt said. “Four women finishing in the top 25 of one of the very best regions in the country is a testament to how much our team challenges and encourages each other in training and racing.”
For the Princeton women, except for Madison and McNatt, the race at Lehigh marked the end of the 2025 cross country season.
“Friday’s race was bittersweet, because we saw how close we were to making it to Nationals as a team, and I think we all truly believe now that we can get there next year,” McNatt said. “I think we will go into the winter training block with confidence, but also hungry for more.”
The men’s team will continue as a squad in this weekend’s NCAA championship after sweeping the competition in Bethlehem. Going into the meet with calm confidence and a strategic mindset, senior Myles Hogan described the importance of “being patient and executing” while “prioritizing nationals by not doing too much.”
The team was led by Hogan, who ran a 10k time of 29:21.2, earning second place against nationally ranked contenders. Hogan was closely followed by teammates sophomore Jacob Nenow and senior Jackson Shorten with times of 29:35.8 and 29:36.9 respectively, securing fourth and fifth place for the Tigers.
All three Tigers played a tactful race, with Hogan making his move at the 5k mark while Shorten passed four runners in his final kick. The team boasted a low score of 45 from their top five runners, a wide gap from second place’s Georgetown’s 63.
“The best part of the regionals race for me was being able to run alongside my teammates Myles and Jackson for most of the race,” Nenow said. “We have a lot of good momentum going into nationals, and I think we can place pretty highly as a team.”
Sophomore Sebastian Martinez and first-year Hayden Boaz rounded out the scoring team in 15th and 19th place. Boaz has had a breakthrough debut collegiate season, passing 51 runners throughout his 10k. All of Princeton’s scorers finished in the top 20.
“We ran at the front as a group and just waited until guys started dropping off,” Hogan told the ‘Prince.’ “We never really made any dramatic moves or gear shifts, but just rolled with the moves and let things play out to our favor.”
“These guys are the ones who get me through practice every day,” Hogan said.
The Tiger men look ahead to the NCAA championship on Nov. 22 after their automatic bid. They will race against the top teams and individuals from across nine regions and at-large selections at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo. Madison and McNatt will set off at 10:20 a.m., while the Princeton men will take the line at 11:10 a.m.
Cadigan Perriello is a Sports and Research contributor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
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