NEW ORLEANS -- The Washington & Jefferson College men's cross country team will enter the 2024 campaign with postseason goals in mind following the release of the preseason NCAA Division III Men's Cross Country Regional Rankings for the upcoming season, which was released on Wednesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
W&J was ranked eighth in the Mid-Atlantic Region rankings, which was ranked second-best by any Presidents' Athletic Conference school. Saint Vincent College ranked just ahead of the Presidents at fifth among the Top 10 schools in the region.
The Presidents finished the 2023 season 10th at regionals.
Regional Rankings are determined subjectively by a single member coach in each respective region. The regional representative is tasked with weighing returning teams' strength with current season results (if applicable) in determining a rank-order of squad potential. Only USTFCCCA member programs are eligible to receive a ranking. Teams with provisional status within the region may be ranked.
The Red and Black maintain most of their core from a season ago. A quad of seniors including
Daniel Deal (Butler, Pa./Knoch),
Julian Paul (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour),
Brock Pennington (North East, Pa./North East) and
Jake Sinclair (Beallsville,Pa./Beth-Center) will look to lead a strong group of returners for the Presidents.
The Presidents also welcome back
Dominic Flitcraft (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell), who earned First Team All-PAC and PAC Newcomer of the Year honors as the highest placing freshman this past season at conference championships. He finished in a time of 26:05.42 to become just the second President to earn the top newcomer honor in the conference since Paul Collier in 2019.
W&J opens the 2024 season at its home invitational on Friday, Aug. 30. The meet will take place at the South Strabane Community Park and commence at 5:30 p.m.
