TRAFFORD, Pa. – Washington & Jefferson College cross country runners Claire Anderson (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown) and Dominic Flitcraft (Aliquippa, Pa./Hopewell) have been named the 2025 Presidents' Athletic Conference Runners of the Year. Both were unanimously voted by the 12 head coaches of the conference following the completion of the cross country seasons.
 
This is the first year the PAC has determined its Runners of the Year by a coaches' vote following the NCAA Championships. Previously, the winner of the PAC Championship race would automatically be the league's Runner of the Year.
 
This is the second time Anderson has earned the conference's top women's runner award, as she was also recognized in 2023 after winning the PAC Championship as a sophomore. She is the first W&J women's runner and eighth female in PAC history to earn multiple conference Runner of the Year laurels. Anderson capped her brilliant career at W&J this past Saturday when she finished third at NCAA Championships with a time of 21:13.4.
 
"Claire ran phenomenal at Nationals. She got out with the lead girls and never looked back. I've always said she was one of the best runners in the country and today she left no doubt about it," replied Head Coach Andy Upton. "She looked strong from start to finish and as the race got longer she got stronger and more confident."
 
The third-place finish by Anderson is believed to be the highest by any PAC women's runner in conference history. After placing 23rd a year ago to earn her first All-America award, she is also just the second PAC women's runner to be a two-time All-American, joining Elisa Pederson from Grove City College, who was a two-time honoree as well in 2004 and 2005.
 
Saturday's performance was just the latest accolade in Anderson's senior year and career. She was a four-time PAC Runner of the Week through the regular season, which was highlighted by wins at the Dickinson Invitational and Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble and a sixth place at the Louisville Cross Country Classic.
 
Then in the PAC Championships at Allegheny College Nov. 1st, Anderson earned her third career First Team All-PAC distinction when she placed fourth overall. As the top W&J runner to cross, she helped the Presidents to their first PAC team championship in women's cross country in program history.
 
Two weeks later at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, Anderson punched her ticket to the national championship meet by placing third with a time of 21:33.62. It was the third All-Region performance in her career, as Anderson placed 10th as a sophomore in 2023 and was the Mid-Atlantic Regional champion, the first-ever won by a W&J women's runner, last fall.
 
Saving her best for last, Anderson moved up 20 spots from 2024 to take third this fall at nationals. Anderson used a stellar finishing kick to jump several spots late in the race, moving up from seventh to third place in the final 1000 meters. In addition to becoming the first two-time All-American in W&J history, Anderson's finish at NCAAs this season bested the previous top showing in Presidents' cross country program history, which was held by Kristen Galligan from the 2012 season (12th place, 21:27.40).
 
"I'm super proud and happy for Claire. She's such a great person and she deserved to hold that trophy high at Nationals," said Upton. "So glad to see her put everything together in what was her final cross country race of her career."
 
On the men's side, this is the first PAC Runner of the Year honor for Flitcraft. It's the sixth time in PAC history a W&J runner has earned Men's Runner of the Year and Flitcraft is the first President to win it since Harley Moyer was recognized in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018.
 
Flitcraft completed his outstanding junior season with his second consecutive trip to the national meet. After finishing 131st last year, Flitcraft slid into the top 100 this year by taking 91st place with a time of 25:14.3. He earned his trip to the NCAA Championships by finishing 10th overall at the Mid-Atlantic Regional, his second top 10 showing to earn All-Region, as he was also 10th at the 2024 regional championship.
 
Flitcraft's postseason began with a conference title, as he won the PAC Championship race back on Nov. 1st. After placing second as a freshman and third last year, Flitcraft broke through to take the top spot this year with a winning time of 26:16.90, making him a three-time First Team All-PAC performer in his first three years.
 
Like Anderson, Flitcraft built up to the championship meets with a stellar regular season. He collected four PAC Runner of the Week laurels through the year, including the last three following 11th-place finishes at Oberlin and Louisville and a sixth place at Dickinson.
 
"Dom improved a lot from last year and broke into the top 100 which was our goal from the start," stated Upton. "He continues to get better with every race he runs and I'm super excited we have him coming back for another year. He's one of the most motivated runners I've ever been around, and he will definitely take the experience from today's race and use it to be even better next year."
 
The Presidents Head Coach Andy Upton was also named PAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year following the PAC Championships. Upton guided the women's team their historic first conference championship in program history. This marks the first cross country coach of the year honor for Upton, the fourth total coach of the year honor between cross country and track & field.
 
Wyatt Stroup (Port Royal, Pa./Juniata) was also named the PAC Men's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year following the conference championships. Stroup finished paced his way to a third-place finish and time of 27:17.30. The freshman was awarded the annual PAC Newcomer of the Year, the first President to earn the honor since Flitcraft in 2023.