Cross country poll projects men's team as repeat champions, women's as third-place finishers

The Norwich University men's and women's cross country teams are set to host the 2025 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Sunday, Nov. 2, returning to their home course for the league's marquee event. 

The men's 8K race will lead off the day at 12 p.m., followed by the women's 6K race at 1:30 p.m. Both races will be held at the Norwich Cross Country Course, located alongside the Dog River in Northfield. 

Now in its second year hosting the conference championship, Norwich once again welcomes fellow GNAC competitors after showcasing the venue at the third annual Norwich Cadet Invitational on Oct. 3. Both the Cadet men and women finished second in that home meet, setting the stage for Sunday's title showdown. 

Ten programs will compete in the men's championship, with Norwich looking to defend its 2024 crown and capture a 13th overall league title. Leading the charge are senior standout Seth Varin, a four-time GNAC Runner of the Week honoree, and rookie contributor Shea Parish, who earned his first GNAC Rookie of the Week accolade earlier this fall. Also returning is reigning GNAC Rookie of the Year recipient Matheu Dettenrieder, who placed fifth individually at last year's championship. 

On the women's side, 11 teams will vie for the title, with Colby-Sawyer College seeking a fifth consecutive championship. The Chargers are powered by 2023 GNAC Runner of the Year Adriana Nadeau, who placed second overall last fall. Norwich counters with a balanced lineup that includes 2024 GNAC Rookie of the Year Delaney Whitmarsh and emerging first-year standout Kaitlyn Moore, as the Cadets aim to improve on their fourth-place finish from a season ago. 

Sunday's championship will be started with a ceremonial firing the M116 75mm pack Howitzer by the Norwich Artillery Battery, with the race officially started by Joe Barch '82, a member of the undefeated 1982 Norwich Athletic Hall of Fame cross country team. 

Live timing and full results will be provided by 802 Timing. The top overall finisher in each race will earn GNAC Runner of the Year honors, with the top first-year finisher recognized as Rookie of the Year. All-Conference accolades will be awarded to the top 14 finishers, with the first seven finishers earning First Team honors and the next seven named to the Second Team.

Men's Race Preview

As the reigning GNAC champions, Norwich enters Sunday's race with strong momentum and a balanced mix of veteran leadership and underclassman impact. 

Varin has led the Cadets in all six races this fall, collecting four GNAC Runner of the Week honors in the process. Most recently, he clocked a personal-best 27:04.72 to finish 21st at the Golden Bear Invitational at Western New England on Oct. 18. 

Parish earned GNAC Rookie of the Week recognition after placing 26th at the Maple Syrup Challenge on Sept. 6 with a 29:40.07. He recently tallied a 48th-place showing at Western New England's Golden Bear meet in 28:29.25. 

2024 GNAC Rookie of the Year Dettenrieder, along with Alex Calo and Logan Whitmarsh, rounded out the Cadets' scoring pack at Western New England earlier this month. 

Norwich opened the season with a team win at the Charger Invitational at Colby-Sawyer, and logged additional top-three team finishes at the Maple Syrup Challenge and Norwich Cadet Invitational. The Cadets also turned in a strong performance at the James Earley Invitational at Westfield State, where Varin, Landon Pandolph, and Parish all broke the 30-minute barrier en route to a ninth-place team finish among 18 schools.

Women's Race Preview

After placing fourth at last year's GNAC Championship, Norwich's women's team return a competitive lineup with the tools to contend for a top-three finish. 

Moore has emerged as one of the team's frontrunners, capturing two GNAC Rookie of the Week honors, including most recently after a 35th-place finish at the Golden Bear Invitational's 6K race, where she ran a 25:22.25 to lead all Cadet women. 

Delaney Whitmarsh, the 2024 GNAC Rookie of the Year, earned GNAC Runner of the Week honors earlier this season after a ninth-place showing at the Maple Syrup Challenge on Sept. 6, clocking a 21:33.78 on the 5K course. 

Norwich's scoring five at the Golden Bear Invitational, in addition to Moore, included Ellery Shertzer, Alexandra Velez, Amelia Spears, and Emma Gizzi-Schmidt. 

The Cadets earned runner-up team finishes at the Charger Invitational, Maple Syrup Challenge, and Norwich Cadet Invitational, and placed 10th overall at Westfield State's James Earley Invitational, led by top-50 finishes from Delaney Whitmarsh, Ally Teitsch, Joelle Moore, Shertzer, and 2023 GNAC Rookie of the Year Cece Winters.

GNAC Pre-Championship Poll Results

Men's Cross Country Poll:

1. Norwich — 100 (10)
2. Saint Joseph's (Maine) — 80
3. Emmanuel — 78
4. Lasell — 58
5. Colby-Sawyer — 52
6. Regis (Massachusetts) — 51
7. Dean — 39
8. Mitchell — 32
9. New England College — 30 (tie)
10. Elms — 30 (tie)

Women's Cross Country Poll:

1. Colby-Sawyer — 105 (9)
2. Emmanuel — 105
3. Norwich — 96 (1)
4. Saint Joseph's (Maine) — 89
5. Simmons — 73
6. Lasell — 64
7. Regis (Massachusetts) — 60
8. New England College — 52 (1)
9. Elms — 32
10. Dean — 25 (tie)
11. Mitchell — 25 (tie)

Course Details

Races will start on the Graveyard Pitch, located in the outfield of the Norwich softball field.  The finish line is on the opposite end of the pitch. Runners will cross a bridge over the Dog River, loop around the Dog River Rugby Pitch, and follow a route that includes Water Street and Dole Hill Road. The course features a mix of grass fields, wooded trails, dirt roads, and two scenic farm loops.

Spectator Information

Sunday's forecast calls for partly cloudy skies with a high of 45 and a low of 33. Spectators are encouraged to park in the Kreitzberg Arena lot, located adjacent to Garrity Field.

For more information, visit the 2025 GNAC Cross Country Championship Central page.