LEBANON, Pa. – The United East Conference is set to crown its 2026 Men's and Women's Cross Country Champions on Saturday, October 31, as Penn State Berks hosts the conference championships at Union Canal Tunnel Park in Lebanon, Pa.

The women's 6-kilometer race will kick off the championship action at 11:00 AM, followed by the men's 8-kilometer race at 12:00 PM. Eleven United East institutions are slated to compete in the men's championship, with each team's top five finishers contributing to the overall team score.

Saturday's championship course will be familiar territory for several conference programs, as Union Canal Tunnel Park hosted the LVC Dutchmen XC Invitational on September 5, providing an early-season preview of the competition awaiting this year's field.

Find all the information about Saturday's championships here:
MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE | WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE

Men's Cross Country Championship Preview

Penn State Berks enters Saturday's championship looking to defend its conference crown after capturing the first men's cross country title in program history in 2025. The Nittany Lions totaled 44 points at last year's championship, placing four runners among the top 10 to secure the victory. Now competing on their home course, Berks will look to make it back-to-back conference titles.

The Nittany Lions showed their strength at the September 5 preview meet, finishing first among United East institutions with 43 points. Junior Trent Jordan led the way with a time of 27:48.00, while first-year Adrian Maldonado (28:32.40) and sophomore Samuel Branford (28:47.30) also turned in strong performances. Berks placed four runners among the top nine conference scorers to secure the team victory.

St. Mary's College of Maryland figures to be a strong challenger after finishing just 11 points behind Berks at the 2025 championship. The Seahawks narrowed that margin to seven points at the September preview meet, finishing second with 50 points. Junior Pierson Hogue led the Seahawks with a time of 28:22.90, while Brandon Smoot (28:47.90), Connor Walsh (28:59.40), Kal Yewlsew (29:16.10) and Reylouson Vilmenay (29:43.30) rounded out a tightly grouped scoring five.

Penn College will also look to make its presence felt after finishing third at last year's championship and repeating that placement at the September preview meet with 64 points. First-year Logan Bohrer led the Wildcats at the preview with a time of 28:34.70, while Chase Ebeling and Bryce Martin also finished among the top 12 conference scorers. Bohrer later recorded a time of 27:47.3 at the October 23 LVC Last Chance Run Fast Invitational, where the Wildcats placed three runners under the 29-minute mark.

The individual championship race features several familiar faces, including defending champion Sevan Ikeda of Gallaudet University. Ikeda captured both Runner of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in 2025 and returned to Union Canal Tunnel Park in September with an impressive time of 25:56.00, the fastest among United East competitors at the meet.

Lancaster Bible College's David Helms, who finished second at last year's championship, also enters as a contender after recording a time of 26:11.70 at the September preview meet. Helms finished first among runners in the conference team-scored standings, while Ikeda competed as part of a Gallaudet squad that did not field enough runners for a team score.

Jordan, who placed third at the 2025 championship, will also look to challenge for the individual crown. Penn State Abington's Mason Kaminski is another runner to watch after finishing sixth overall at the October 23 LVC Last Chance Run Fast Invitational with a time of 26:34.9.

Other runners to watch at this year's championship:

• Adrian Maldonado – Penn State Berks
• Pierson Hogue – St. Mary's College of Maryland
• Logan Bohrer – Penn College
• Brandon Smoot – St. Mary's College of Maryland
• Samuel Branford – Penn State Berks
• Joey Swaim – Cairn University
• Chase Ebeling – Penn College
• Matthew McKinney – Lancaster Bible College

Women's Cross Country Championship Preview

St. Mary's College of Maryland enters Saturday's championship looking to continue its dominance in the United East after capturing its fifth consecutive women's cross country title in 2025. The Seahawks totaled 53 points at last year's championship, edging Lancaster Bible College by just five points to extend their championship streak.

The Seahawks appear poised to challenge for a sixth straight crown after an impressive performance at the September 5 preview meet. St. Mary's finished first among United East institutions with just 21 points, placing five runners among the top seven conference scorers.

Junior Ella Mitchell led the Seahawks with a time of 20:07.50 on the 5-kilometer course, while Avery Arizzi (22:19.10), Maggie Tsambikos (22:30.60), Weiya Carter (23:12.50) and Elise Geiger (23:14.20) completed the scoring five. Mitchell, who finished second individually at the 2025 championship, will look to build on that performance as she pursues the individual crown.

Cedar Crest College and Penn State Berks will look to challenge the Seahawks after finishing second and third, respectively, at the September preview meet. Cedar Crest totaled 58 points, led by Giada Smith's time of 22:12.70, while Berks finished just three points behind with 61. First-year Madelyn Holbrook (23:04.10) and sophomore Brianna Strittmatter (23:19.20) paced the Nittany Lions.

Lancaster Bible College will also be a team to watch after finishing runner-up at the 2025 championship. The Chargers placed three runners among the top five last fall, including Seana Dougherty, Abby Ames and Cadee Cameron. Dougherty and Cameron both returned to the course at the September preview meet, recording times of 21:20.60 and 20:59.10, respectively.

The individual championship race could feature another exciting battle at the front of the field, as Cairn University's Clarisse Hayden looks to capture her third consecutive United East individual title. Hayden earned Runner of the Year honors for the second straight season in 2025 after crossing the finish line in 23:58.48. Hayden continued to demonstrate her championship potential at the September preview meet, finishing in 20:04.10. She will face competition from several returning standouts, including Mitchell and Penn State Harrisburg's MaKayla Reichel, the reigning United East Rookie of the Year.

Reichel turned in the fastest women's time among United East competitors at the September preview meet, completing the 5-kilometer course in 19:32.80. The sophomore finished sixth at last year's championship and will look to make a push toward the front of the field on Saturday.

Lancaster Bible's Cameron and Dougherty could also factor into the individual championship race after placing fifth and third, respectively, at the 2025 championship. Both runners have demonstrated their ability to compete near the front of the conference field.

Other runners to watch at this year's championship:

• Cadee Cameron – Lancaster Bible College
• Seana Dougherty – Lancaster Bible College
• Giada Smith – Cedar Crest College
• Madelyn Holbrook – Penn State Berks
• Brianna Strittmatter – Penn State Berks
• Avery Arizzi – St. Mary's College of Maryland
• Maggie Tsambikos – St. Mary's College of Maryland
• Kate Butzler – Penn College

 

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