The Middlebury men's cross country team returns home to host the 2026 NESCAC Championship. The navy and white seeks the second title in program history, with the women's six-kilometer (6K) race kicking off the day at 11:00 a.m. followed by the men's eight-kilometer (8K) race set to begin at 12:00 p.m.

ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers opened the season with a third-place showing in their annual Aldrich Invitational before being the lone Division III program to compete at the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational, hosted by Dartmouth.
• After the white race at the Paul Short Run was canceled due to heat, Middlebury returned to action with a 10th-place finish at the Connecticut College Invitational.
• All five Panther scorers slotted inside the top 100 at the event hosted by the Camels, which featured multiple teams ranked in the top 25 nationally.

PANTHERS TO WATCH

• Benjamin Hughes has picked up where he left off after a solid junior campaign. The senior has been the first Panther to cross the finish line in three invites, including a career-best 8K time of 24:14.9 at the Connecticut College Invitational. His sixth-place showing was the highest by a Middlebury runner since the program first competed in the invite in 2016. Hughes looks to best his All-NESCAC Second Team selection from a year ago, when he finished 12th. 
• Finishing in the top 50 in each of his three invite appearances has been Benjamin Prestes. The Panther follows a stellar performance at Harkness Park, setting a personal best (24:54.1) and claiming 44th. Prestes makes his third appearance at the conference championships. 
• Nate Johnson and Ethan Sholk have been solid in the Panther lineup. Johnson has landed in the top 100 in each of his three appearances, while Sholk comes off a personal best clocking of 24:55.0 at Connecticut College.
• Solomon McDow (25:35.0), Jared Rife (25:41.0) and Ian Larkin (25:43.7) look to build on career times at the national invite hosted by the Camels.

ABOUT THE OPPONENTS

• Tufts denied Williams' chance for a sixth consecutive title last season, winning the invite by 27 points. The championship was the Jumbo's fifth in school history, while the Ephs pace the NESCAC with 22 crowns.
• Seven of the top 10 finishers from last fall's conference title race return, headlined by reigning champion Eli Welch of Williams.
• Six NESCAC teams placed in the top 15 at the Connecticut College Invitational. Williams (second), Wesleyan (third), Tufts (fourth), Colby (seventh), Middlebury (10th) and Bowdoin (14th) each claimed a spot.
• Six conference foes are ranked in the top 25 of the latest national poll. Williams, Wesleyan and Tufts sit 14th, 15th and 16th, respectively. Bates (#19), Amherst (#20) and Colby (#23) round out the contingent. 

Information about the championship is available on the central landing page of the NESCAC website.