NEWVILLE, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College cross country teams wrapped competition at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regionals hosted at Big Spring High School. The Presidents locked up two runners between both teams to race in the NCAA Championships next week.
 
The W&J women's team finished sixth out of the 27 teams in attendance. This marks the highest finish for W&J in cross country program history at an NCAA Regional race. Claire Anderson (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown) led the way with a third-place finish and time of 21:33.62. Anderson was the top Presidents' Athletic Conference runner at the regional race, only being bested by runners from Carnegie Mellon and Johns Hopkins.
 
Anderson punched her ticket to the NCAA National Championships for the third-straight season, earning NCAA Mid-Atlantic All-Region status.
 
The senior tandem of Maria Gilles (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Lake Ridge Academy) and Chloe LoCastro (Venetia, Pa./Peters Township) each finished in the top 25 with personal-best finishes.
 
Gilles finished as the Presidents second-best runner with a 20^th place finish with a personal-best mark of 22:27.26. Gilles finished 10 seconds behind the last unofficial qualifier for the National Championship Meet.
 
LoCastro finished right behind her classmate with a personal-best finish of 22:33.67. Each runner earned NCAA Mid-Atlantic All-Region status. LoCastro finished 16 seconds behind the last unofficial qualifier for the National Championship Meet.
 
Genevieve Ruth (Brecksville, Ohio/Brecksville Broadview Heights) and Cali LaRue (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) wrapped the Presidents top five runners in 79^th and 85^th place, respectively.
 
Dominic Flitcraft (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) led the W&J men's team that finished 17^th of the 31 participating teams. Flitcraft finished 10^th with a time of 25:32.05. The junior was the top PAC runner at the regional race, only being bested by runners from Carnegie Mellon and Johns Hopkins. After becoming the 2025 conference champion two weeks ago, Flitcraft added on to his accolades this season with his second-consecutive Mid-Atlantic All-Region honor and trip to the NCAA National Championships.
 
Wyatt Stroup (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) finished as the third fastest freshman at his first NCAA Regional Meet. The freshman finished in 44^th place with a time of 26:42.52. Stroup remained the top newcomer from the PAC, finishing behind two freshmen from Johns Hopkins.
 
Both Anderson and Flitcraft wait to officially be named as runners in the National Championship meet, announced by the NCAA at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow (Nov. 16). The annual National Meet will take place in Spartanburg, S. C. on Saturday (Nov. 22), starting at 10:00 a.m.