The #24 Middlebury men's cross country team will travel to Canton, New York for the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships hosted by St. Lawrence. The 8K race begins at 12:15 p.m. on Saturday from the Ronald C. Hoffmann Cross Country Course.

ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• Middlebury claimed fifth place at the NESCAC Championship two weeks ago with all five scorers earning top-50 finishes.
• The squad sits fifth regionally and 24th nationally in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) after the conference meet.
• Middlebury opened the season by sweeping the team titles at the Silloway Maple Syrup Challenge and its Aldrich Invitational before tallying runner-up honors at the Hoffmann Invitational.
• The program battled multiple top-25 programs in the Blue Race at the Connecticut College Invitational and at the Paul Short Run, placing 10th and seventh, respectively.
• The Panthers secured third at last year's Mideast Regional hosted by the Camels.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Benjamin Hughes tallied his second all-conference laurel at the NESCAC Championship, claiming 12th overall with a time of 24:46.2. The junior impressed at the St. Lawrence course earlier this season with a third-place showing (25:23.7).
• Owen Johnson and rookie Ethan Sholk were the second and third Middlebury scorers in the conference meet. Johnson just missed his personal-best time with a 25:04.3 for 21st, while Sholk crossed the finish line in 32nd at 25:23.2. The duo has combined for four top-10 finishes over the six invites this fall. 
• The fourth runner for the Panthers at the league meet was Cameron Miles, who finished 33rd with a time of 25:24.3. The junior clocked a career-best 25:15.4 at the Connecticut College Invitational.
• Zach Utz was the final top-50 Middlebury finisher, crossing the finish line in 40th at 25:35.5. Nathan Szubin (57th - 25:54.9) and Harry Griff (74th - 26:10.9) also look to build off their conference performances.
• Ian Larkin and Sullivan Dunn are set to make their regional debuts after finishing 101st and 118th at the NESCAC Championship.

ABOUT THE FIELD

• Nathan Tassey of Roger Williams looks to defend his regional title after winning last season's edition in Connecticut with a time of  24:03.4.
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's (RPI) Jack Loughery and Amherst's Harrison Dow are the other two top-five returners from the 2024 regional meet.
• Seventh-ranked Williams is the top-ranked team in the region, followed by #8 RPI, #15 Mammoths and #21 Wesleyan.
• The Ephs won the team title with 59 points last season, followed by RPI and Amherst finishing second and third with 110 points. 

CHAMPIONSHIP INFORMATION

• Location: Ronald C. Hoffmann Cross Country Course (Canton, New York)
• Host School: St. Lawrence
• NCAA Selections
  • The top team from each of the 10 regions automatically qualifies for the NCAA Championship with 22 additional teams earning at-large bids.
  • The first seven runners from each region who are not part of a qualifying team will be selected to participate for a total of 70 additional individuals. 
• The top-35 athletes earn USTFCCCA All-Region honors. 

The selections for the 2025 NCAA Men's Cross Country Championship will be released on Sunday, November 16, at a time to be determined.