MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - Amherst won its first NESCAC men’s cross country championship since 2018 by a single point, while Wesleyan junior Dylan Cote won the individual title at the 2026 NESCAC Men's Cross Country Championship hosted by Middlebury.
The Mammoths scored 66 points to edge Williams, which had 67 which reversed a result from the 2024 championship where the Ephs defeated Amherst 76-77. Amherst placed four runners in the top nine: seniors Harrison Dow (fourth) and Stan Craig (fifth), sophomore Carter Bengtson (eighth) and senior Parker Boyle (ninth). Williams was led by 2025 champion Eli Welch's third place finish. Tufts was third with 70 points and three runners in the top 15, while Wesleyan, led by Cote, placed fourth and Middlebury rounded out the top five teams.
Cote won the 8-kilometer race in 24:31.08 seconds, 13.1 seconds ahead of Middlebury senior Benjamin Hughes. Cote is the first Wesleyan runner to win the NESCAC title since Joseph Mahoney, who was a three-time NESCAC Champion (1990, 1992, 1993) for the Cardinals. Cote's win also ended a four-year run of individual champions from Williams.
Up next for the NESCAC teams is the NCAA Regional races on November 14. The NCAA Division III National Championship will be held Saturday, November 21 in Northfield, Minnesota and hosted by Carleton College.
TEAM RESULTS
| Pl. |
Team |
Points |
| 1 |
Amherst |
66 |
| 2 |
Williams |
67 |
| 3 |
Tufts |
70 |
| 4 |
Wesleyan |
83 |
| 5 |
Middlebury |
116 |
| 6 |
Bates |
117 |
| 7 |
Bowdoin |
213 |
| 8 |
Hamilton |
251 |
| 9 |
Colby |
267 |
| 10 |
Connecticut College |
274 |
| 11 |
Trinity |
317 |
TOP 14 INDIVIDUALS (ALL-NESCAC - 1-7 First Team | 8-14 Second Team)
| Pl. |
Name, School |
Yr. |
Time |
| 1 |
Dylan Cote, Wesleyan |
JR |
24:31.08 |
| 2 |
Benjamin Hughes, Middlebury |
SR |
24:44.22 |
| 3 |
Eli Welch, Williams |
JR |
24:47.63 |
| 4 |
Harrison Dow, Amherst |
SR |
24:50.37 |
| 5 |
Stan Craig, Amherst |
SR |
24:51.89 |
| 6 |
Jonah Reisner, Tufts |
SR |
24:57.17 |
| 7 |
Malcolm Oakes, Williams |
JR |
25:02.45 |
| 8 |
Carter Bengtson, Amherst |
SO |
25:04.00 |
| 9 |
Parker Boyle, Amherst |
SR |
25:04.79 |
| 10 |
Noah Mahoney, Wesleyan |
SR |
25:05.31 |
| 11 |
Harris Gulbransen, Tufts |
SR |
25:07.80 |
| 12 |
Max Hoffman, Bates |
JR |
25:07.94 |
| 13 |
Tj Zwall, Williams |
SO |
25:11.09 |
| 14 |
Matthew Servin, Bowdoin |
SR |
25:12.50 |
