This year marks the second time Bucknell has hosted the championship, the first being in 2022. All 10 programs in the Patriot League will participate, with scoring based on the finishes of each team’s top five runners. Live results for the event will be accessible during both races.
In the women’s race, the Navy team, which has won six Patriot League titles, aims to reclaim the championship after finishing third last season. The Midshipmen’s previous championships came in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2021, and 2022, with a shared title in 2007. Notably, Navy has consistently ranked among the top four teams since 2003, finishing as follows in recent years: second in 2015, fourth in 2016, third in 2017, third in 2018, fourth in 2019, first in 2021, first in 2022, and third in both 2023 and 2025.
At the 2025 Patriot League Championship, held at the Goodman Family Cross Country Course in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Navy secured third place. Jane Phillips and Lexi Ensor led the Midshipmen, with Phillips earning All-Patriot League honors after finishing ninth in a time of 21:15.2, while Ensor followed closely in 12th place with a time of 21:20.2. Sophie Compton and Juliet Frum marked the next top finishes for Navy, with times of 21:32.4 and 21:45.1, respectively.
Meanwhile, the Navy men’s cross country team enters its 23rd Patriot League Championship having won 13 league titles, more than any other team in the conference’s history. The Midshipmen dominated between 2008 and 2017, claiming eight championships and finishing as runners-up twice.
Last year, the Navy men’s team captured its fifth consecutive Patriot League Championship, bolstered by Justin Mumford’s first-place finish, and ended with a total score of 28 points, placing five runners in the top ten. This victory contributed to Navy’s record of 13 league titles. Mumford’s outstanding performance earned him the title of Patriot League Men’s Outstanding Performer of the Meet. Luke Bowlsby, who was honored as the top finishing freshman, further solidified the team’s efforts under head coach Aaron Lanzel, who received Coach of the Year recognition for the fifth year in a row.
After Saturday’s championship races, both Navy cross country teams will prepare for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional event, scheduled to be held at Lehigh University on Friday, November 13.
