BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The 2024 Patriot League Cross Country Championships will be run at the Lafayette College Cross Country Course in Easton, Pennsylvania on Saturday, Nov., 2. It is the ninth time Lafayette has hosted the event. All 20 Patriot League men’s and women’s programs will participate in the championships, with the top ?ve runners for each school counting towards the team score.
The Leopards will host the championships for the ninth time and the first since 2016 when the Navy men and Bucknell women captured League titles, respectively.
The women’s 6K championship race will kick off at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday. The men’s 8k race will follow at 12:00 p.m. All 10 Patriot League programs will compete in the championships, with team scoring determined by each squad’s top-five finishers. Live results for the 2024 Patriot League Cross Country Championship are available by visiting the Patriot League’s official website –
www.PatriotLeague.org.
VISIT THE 2024 PATRIOT LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL
Patriot League Cross Country Major Awards and All-League Honors
The Patriot League cross country major awards will be distributed following the race and will be determined by the individual finish of the competing student-athletes at the championship. The individual champion of both races will be named the Patriot League Runner of the Year for the men and women. The top-finishing freshman in both races earns Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors. The top-seven finishers in the men’s and women’s races make the All-Patriot League First Team, with the eighth through 14th-place runners making up the second team. The Patriot League’s Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year will be voted on by the League’s head coaches at the conclusion of both races. Academic All-Patriot League and Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards will be voted upon by the League’s head coaches and announced the week following the race.
Returning All-Patriot League Performers
Defending champion Navy returns individual champion Murphy Smith alongside third-place finisher Alexander Kirkland as the Mids look to win their fourth consecutive title. Fellow 2023 All-Patriot League First-Teamers Parker Schneider (Boston University | 4
th), Marc Baroncini (Army West Point | 5
th), and Thomas Smigo (Lehigh | 6
th) all return looking to repeat top performances in 2024. Meanwhile, all seven second-team honorees return for their respective institutions.
A loaded women’s group returns in 2024 with defending runner-up Vera Sjöberg to lead the attack for Boston University. Defending champion Army West Point returns three of their top four finishers -- Charlotte Richman (3
rd), Claire Lewis (4
th), Joanna Halfhill (6
th), and Louisa Diamond (7
th) -- as they look to claim the title once again in 2024. Five of the seven 2024 Second-Team All-Patriot Leaue honorees return for their respective institutions.
Patriot League Cross Country Championship History
The Army West Point and Navy men’s cross country programs have won a Patriot League-best 11 team championships. American and Bucknell have each won six championships, with Lehigh winning their only championship in 2012.
The Bucknell women’s program has a League-high 12-team titles. Army West Point earned a sixth title last season to lock in a tie with Navy at second in League history. Boston University (4) and American (2) have each won multiple League Championships. Colgate, Lafayette and Lehigh each have one women’s team title.
USTFCCCA Polls
- The Navy men’s cross country team was ranked No. 4 in the US Track and Field and Cross Country Association (USTFCCCA) Mid-Atlantic Region when the polls were released on Oct. 22. Bucknell was No. 9 and American checked in at No. 11. In the Northeast Region, Army West Point was tabbed No. 8, while Boston University checked in at No. 12.
- Bucknell’s women’s team is currently No. 8 in the USTFCCCA Mid-Atlantic Region Poll, while Navy is No. 11 and Lehigh is ranked No. 13. Army West Point is No. 8 in the Northeast Region with Boston University coming in at No. 12.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athlete can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.