HADLEY, Mass. – Eli Welch of Williams is the NESCAC Most Outstanding Performer following the 2025 NESCAC Cross Country Championships hosted by Conn. College on November 1. The annual honor is given to the individual who finished first at the conference championships.
Welch posted a 2.4-second victory (24:20.2) to claim the individual men's title and earned a spot on the All-NESCAC First Team. Welch is the third consecutive Eph to win the NESCAC title and Most Outstanding Performer honors.
First-year Carter Bengtson of Amherst was honored as the NESCAC Men's Rookie of the Year. Bengtson finished 17th overall (24:54.4) and is the second Mammoth in three seasons to collect NESCAC Rookie of the Year honor.
The Tufts men's coaching staff (Jamie Norton, Kristen Morwick, Sophie Long, Elise Molinaro) was voted as the Coaching Staff of the Year by their peers after leading the Jumbos to their first conference title since 2012 and fifth in team history. Tufts compiled a team score of 30 points, the team's lowest ever at the NESCAC meet, which began in 1983. The score also tied for the second-lowest point total of any team in the meet since 1996. It's the first time since 2012 the Tufts coaching staff has been recognized.
Below are the All-NESCAC Teams. The top seven finishers are recognized as All-NESCAC First Team and runners in places 8-14 are All-NESCAC Second Team honorees.
NESCAC Men's Most Outstanding Performer: Eli Welch, Williams
NESCAC Men's Rookie of the Year: Carter Bengtson, Amherst
NESCAC Men's Coaching Staff of the Year: Tufts
| All-NESCAC First Team |
| Place, Name, Institution |
Time |
Previous Honors |
| 1. Eli Welch, Williams |
24:20.2 |
|
| 2. Jonah Reisner, Tufts |
24:22.6 |
|
| 3. Harrison Dow, Amherst |
24:25.8 |
2023 ROY, 2023 2nd Team, 2024 First Team |
| 4. Harris Gulbransen, Tufts |
24:30.7 |
|
| 5. Stan Craig, Amherst |
24:32.3 |
|
| 6. Cullen McCaleb, Tufts |
24:34.8 |
|
| 7. Calvin Cummings, Tufts |
24:35.8 |
2024 Second Team |
| All-NESCAC Second Team |
| Place, Name, Institution |
Time |
Previous Honors |
| 8. Malcolm Oakes, Williams |
24:36.4 |
|
| 9. Ellis Iurilli-Hough, Conn. College |
24:37.3 |
|
| 10. Nikhil DeNatale, Williams |
24:41.9 |
2023 First Team |
| 11. Amokrane Aouchiche, Tufts |
24:43.3 |
2022 ROY, 2024 Second Team |
| 12. Benjamin Hughes, Middlebury |
24:46.2 |
2024 First Team |
| 13. Luke Zanuck, Williams |
24:47.9 |
|
| 14. Noah Mahoney, Wesleyan |
24:50.4 |
|
