Marlborough, Mass. - September 3, 2026 - The 2026 men’s cross country season gets underway tomorrow for our student-athletes in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). Here are ten runners to keep an eye on as the season progresses ultimately leading into the NEWMAC Championship meet on October 31.
1. Everett Mosher - WPI
Graduate Student - Chester, Vermont
Everett Mosher, the NEWMAC’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year, returns to WPI after representing the Engineers at the 2025 NCAA Division III National Championships. Mosher made his cross country debut as a senior finishing fourth at the NEWMAC Championships and eighth at the NCAA Regional Championships. As a team, Mosher and the Engineers finished as the runner-up at NEWMAC’s and third at the East Region Championships.
2. Yichen Sun - MIT
Senior - Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Yichen Sun returns to MIT for his senior season as a three-time All-Region honoree and three-time NEWMAC All-Conference selection. Sun and the Engineers won the program’s 27th consecutive NEWMAC Championship, fifth straight NCAA East Region title and went on to race to a ninth place finish at nationals. Sun individually took second at NEWMAC’s, sixth at regionals and 43rd at the national meet.
3. Justin Ruffler - Salve Regina
Junior
Justin Ruffler was Salve Regina’s second fastest finisher at both the NEWMAC Championships in 29:17 and the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships in 29:42.2. Ruffler will return to Newport this fall as part of a young squad and look to lead the Seahawks as one of four upperclassmen on the team.
4. Andre Lazarus - Emerson
Senior - Miami Beach, Florida
Andre Lazarus was Emerson’s second fastest finisher at the NEWMAC Championships and the NCAA East Regional Championships. Lazarus will be one of the returning seniors for the Lions in 2026. As a squad in 2025, Emerson finished ninth at NEWMAC’s and 27th at the regional championships.
5. Renee Cooper - MIT
Junior - Austin, Texas
Renee Cooper returns to MIT after earning All-America honors and All-NEWMAC accolades for the Engineers in 2025. Individually, Cooper placed third at the NEWMAC Championships and went on to claim the first All-America award with a 27th place finish at nationals. Cooper and the Engineers won the program’s 27th straight NEWMAC title, sixth straight East Regional championships and helped MIT to a ninth place finish at the NCAA national championships.
6. Summit Smoker - Clark
Junior - Lititz, Pennsylvania
Summit Smoker was Clark’s top finisher at the NEWMAC Championships crossing the line 25th overall and also went on to pace the Cougars at the NCAA East Regional Championships with a 45th place finish with a personal best time. Smoker and the Cougars finished seventh as a team at NEWMAC’s and 20th at the regional championships. Smoker will return to a Clark team that has a deep mix of upperclassmen and a trio of first-year student-athletes.
7. Finn Morris - Wheaton
Junior - Cape Elizabeth, Maine
Finn Morris had a standout sophomore campaign for the Lyons in 2025 leading Wheaton to a sixth place finish at the NEWMAC Championships and a 16th place finish at the NCAA East Regional Championships. Morris crossed the line in 61st at NEWMAC’s and then went on to post a career-best 8k time at the East Regional meet for the Lyons. Morris will lead a young squad that lost just four seniors a season ago into the 2026 campaign.
8. Gabriel Schaeffer - Springfield
Sophomore - Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania
Gabriel Schaefffer had a strong first-year for Springfield men’s cross country in 2025 and will look to build on it for year two this fall. Schaeffer and the Pride placed fifth at the NEWMAC Championships and was the Pride’s top runner in 38th place. Schaeffer and the rest of his team went on to place 17th at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships with him placing inside the top-100 as Springfield’s second fastest runner at the meet.
9. Nick Yacoub - Babson
Junior - Sharon, Massachusetts
Nick Yacoub placed seventh at the NEWMAC Championships taking home his second straight All-Conference honor and went on take All-East Region accolades back to Babson with a 22nd place finish at the NCAA regional championships. Yacoub and the Beavers placed third at NEWMAC’s with their second lowest score in the NEWMAC era (1998) and sixth at the East Regional Championships matching their best finish in program history.
10. Brendan Fant - Coast Guard
Senior - East Lyme, Connecticut
Brendan Fant was Coast Guard’s number two runner during his junior campaign in 2025 ultimately finishing 13th at the NEWMAC Championship meet and 32nd at the NCAA Mideast Regional Championships. As a team, Fant and the Bears placed fourth at NEWMAC’s and tenth at regionals. Fant will look to represent Coast Guard on the national stage in 2026.
About the NEWMAC
The NEWMAC is an association of 13 selective academic institutions: Babson College, Clark University, U.S Coast Guard Academy, Emerson College, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Mount Holyoke College, Saint Anselm College (beginning reclassification process with NCAA in 2027-28), Salve Regina University, Smith College, Springfield College, Wellesley College, Wheaton College, and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, that are committed to providing high quality competitive athletic opportunities for student-athletes within an educational and respectful environment that embodies the NCAA Division III Philosophy. The conference also partners with seven Associate Members: New York University (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), Norwich University (Football), Simmons College (Rowing), SUNY Maritime College (Football), SUNY New Paltz (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (Football), and Vassar College (Men's Volleyball, 2026-2027), while sponsoring 21 sports.