Cross Country Finishes Season with an Individual National Title

The SUNY Erie cross country team traveled to Westfield, Massachusetts, to compete in the NJCAA Division III Championships.

In the women's 5-kilometer championship, Lydia Smith used smart tactics and a strong finish to win the individual national title. From the gun, Smith tucked into the lead pack, letting other runners set the pace up front. At the 2-mile mark, Smith trailed the leading runner from St. Charles Community College by about five seconds. She took the lead with roughly a half mile to go, made a decisive surge, and never looked back. Her winning time of 19:14 was a season-best by 30 seconds. Smith is the first Erie cross country athlete to win a national title since Anna Bogdanets in 2007.

"No single meet defines our season, but this was a day that has been on our calendar for months," said Head Coach Chris Muldoon. "We knew Lydia had a shot at the national championship, especially after her performance at Regionals. We had a race plan and she executed it to perfection. She kept her composure when other athletes pushed the pace early, and it was really fun to watch her drop the hammer in that last 800 meters. But this isn't just Lydia's national championship—it was a team effort. She had Mads for long runs, the guys to push her in workouts, and the overall vibe of the team has been great all season. All that is important and got us to today."

Madison Baird also represented Erie well at the championship, placing 62nd with a time of 24:33. The performance concluded her impressive freshman year, highlighted by being named to the Region 3 All-Region Team.

In the men's 8-kilometer championship. Christopher Davis led the way for the Kats, finishing in 79th place with a personal-best time of 31:13. Coach Muldoon added, "Chris was our only returning runner from last year. It's been really enjoyable to watch him improve these past two seasons. He's helped build the foundation for the men's team, so I'm excited that his last race in an Erie uniform was his best."

Also competing for the Kats at the championship were three freshmen: David Gregoire (119th place in 33:54), Eugene Bush (154th place in 45:00, a personal best), and Sam Vail (157th place in 52:42).

"I'm very proud of this team. From winning a national championship title to seeing huge improvements, I'd call this season a success. We want to be one of the premier cross country programs in our division, and this was a big stepping stone in that process."

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