MIDDLETOWN, CT. -  With Liam Calhoun '26 as the leader of the pack, the Wesleyan men's cross country team heads into NESCAC Championship weekend with high hopes of a stellar finish out of the 11 conference teams competing on Saturday, Nov. 1, at Harkness Park in Waterford, CT. Hosted by Conn. College, the men's 8K race begins at 11 a.m. with the women's 6K to follow.

CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL

 The men's program finished the 2024 NESCAC Championship in dramatic fashion, running their best 8K race at the conference finals since 2010, placing fifth. Led by Calhoun with a 12^th-place finish, the Cardinals collected 118 points as Calhoun ran a 25:02.96, his best time to date as he jumped 18 spots. Calhoun earned his first All-NESCAC honors as a Second Team selection.

This season,  the Cardinals finished Top 10 in three of the four races competed and placed first at home in the Cardinal Invitational out of 11 institutions. In the season opener, the squad placed second in the Little Three Championship. Placing ninth of 45 schools at the Paul Short Invitational, the Cardinals concluded the regular season with a 23^rd-place finish at Conn. College.

Cardinals to Watch

• Calhoun has been the frontrunner all season, leading the Cardinals with two Top 2 performances. Calhoun was the individual winner of the Little Three Championship, crossing the finish line at 18:37.4. His efforts earned him NESCAC Runner of the Week honors. Following his win, Calhoun placed second at the Cardinal Invitational, running a personal best time o f 24:42.25 in the 8K. The senior bested his 8K time again in the Paul Short race, finishing 12^th with a 24:40.4.
• The Cardinals had another first-place victory in the form of Dylan Cote '28. After placing fifth at the Litle Three Championship with a time of 19:07.5, Cote won the Cardinal Invitational with a personal best time in the 8K with a 24:37.8. Cote was named the NESCAC Runner of the Week and followed his performance with a 25:10.7 finish at Paul short, good enough for 26^th place.
• A stronghold within the men's program in his first two seasons, Noah Mahoney '27 is another standout heading into the weekend. Mahoney ran all four races this season, with his highest finish at fourth in the Cardinal Invitational after crossing the line at 24:45.2. Mahoney opened the season with a seventh-place finish at the Little Three, running a 19:13.3. At the Paul Short Invitational, Mahoney ran a 25:08.5 as he placed 32^nd and finished the season in 35^th at Conn., with a final time of 24:46.9.

Williams College won the 2024 NESCAC Championship with three runners in the Top 20 as their own Charles Namiot won the individual title.