HADLEY, Mass. – Dylan Cote of Wesleyan is the NESCAC Most Outstanding Performer following the 2026 NESCAC Cross Country Championships hosted by Middlebury on October 31. The annual honor is given to the individual who finished first at the conference championship.
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 is the second Cardinal to earn the Most Outstanding Performer honor.
First-year Taylor Combs of Tufts was honored as the NESCAC Men's Rookie of the Year. Combs finished 18th overall (25:15.1) in the championship race and is the fifth Jumbo to collect the honor.
For the second time in four years, the Amherst men's coaching staff (Hannah Chappell-Dick and Chase Worthen) was voted as the NESCAC Men's Coaching Staff of the Year by their peers after leading the Mammoths to their first conference title since 2018. Amherst pulled out a one-point victory over Williams 66-67.
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: Dylan Cote, Wesleyan
NESCAC Men's Rookie of the Year: Taylor Combs, Tufts
NESCAC Men's Coaching Staff of the Year: Amherst
ALL-NESCAC (Top 14 Individual finishers: 1-7 First Team | 8-14 Second Team)
| Pl. |
Name, School |
Yr. |
Time |
Previous Honors |
| 1 |
Dylan Cote, Wesleyan |
JR |
24:31.1 |
|
| 2 |
Benjamin Hughes, Middlebury |
SR |
24:44.3 |
2025 2nd Team, 2024 1st Team |
| 3 |
Eli Welch, Williams |
JR |
24:47.7 |
2025 MOP, 2025 1st Team |
| 4 |
Harrison Dow, Amherst |
SR |
24:50.4 |
2025 1st Team, 2024 1st Team, 2023 ROY, 2023 2nd Team |
| 5 |
Stan Craig, Amherst |
SR |
24:51.9 |
2025 1st Team |
| 6 |
Jonah Reisner, Tufts |
SR |
24:57.2 |
2025 1st Team |
| 7 |
Malcolm Oakes, Williams |
JR |
25:02.5 |
2025 2nd Team |
| Pl. |
Name, School |
Yr. |
Time |
Previous Honors |
| 8 |
Carter Bengtson, Amherst |
SO |
25:04.0 |
2025 ROY |
| 9 |
Parker Boyle, Amherst |
SR |
25:04.8 |
|
| 10 |
Noah Mahoney, Wesleyan |
SR |
25:05.4 |
2025 2nd Team |
| 11 |
Harris Gulbransen, Tufts |
SR |
25:07.8 |
2025 1st Team |
| 12 |
Max Hoffman, Bates |
JR |
25:08.0 |
|
| 13 |
TJ Zwall, Williams |
SO |
25:11.1 |
|
| 14 |
Matthew Servin, Bowdoin |
SR |
25:12.5 |
|
