ANNVILLE, Pa. – After becoming the first Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) school in 13 years to win both the men's and women's cross country titles, the Lebanon Valley College teams will strive to deliver another successful season in 2026.

LVC's men's cross country team is coming off its second consecutive MAC Championship and its first-ever team appearance in the NCAA Division III National Championship race. The women's team captured its first conference title in program history in 2025. 

Entering 2026, the men's squad is ranked 18th in the nation in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll and 19th in the D3 Glory Days Poll. 

"We have a lot of great returners," Head Coach James O'Brien '07, M'16, said. "I hope that we'll be competitive in the conference and region. We would also like to be back on that national starting line this fall."

Although some impactful runners graduated last spring, the team welcomes back 16 veterans, including a strong top four: seniors Rory Lieberman and Lukas Walko and juniors Andrew Namatka and Wyatt Leitzel. Lieberman has won the past two MAC individual cross country titles to garner Runner of the Year honors, and he notched the championship last year with a stellar time of 25:17.0. Each member of the program's top four received All-MAC accolades in 2025. 

O'Brien also expressed that the team has a great nucleus, and that he believes multiple student-athletes have the opportunity to step into a scoring role. Graduate student Donnie Miller and senior Dylan Lenhart, both of whom are former All-Conference selections, are among the runners LVC expects to make an impact. The team's captains will be Lieberman, Walko, Lenhart, and senior Liam Allen. The Flying Dutchmen are excited about their six first-year student-athletes as well. 

Lebanon Valley's women's cross country team also saw several key runners graduate from last year's group, including Coyla Bartholomew '26, a 2025 NCAA National Championship individual qualifier and three-time All-Region honoree. Entering this fall, LVC is ranked eighth in the USTFCCCA preseason rankings for the Mid-Atlantic Region. The 2026 roster for the Flying Dutchmen features eight returners and five newcomers. The captains are senior Charlee Kurtz, junior Nina Milosevic, and sophomore Lila Shore. 

"I think we have a really good group," O'Brien said. "We have some people that have been kind of waiting their turn to step up. It's going to take us every ounce of the season for us to get to a competitive spot, and I believe that we will be one of the better teams in the conference once all is said and done."

The Dutchmen expect Kurtz, a two-time All-MAC honoree, to be a key contributor this season. The program will also rely on Milosevic, senior Caroline Borleis, and junior Christine Wagner. Additionally, O'Brien expressed that he is looking forward to seeing the first-year class begin their collegiate careers.  

Lebanon Valley will open the season by hosting the Dutchmen Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Union Canal Tunnel Park in Lebanon. The women's race will start at 10:15 a.m., and the men's race will begin at 11 a.m. Another important meet on the schedule for both teams is Lehigh University's Paul Short Run on Friday, Oct. 2, at the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course in Bethlehem. 

LVC will also host the Last Chance Run Fast Invitational on Friday, Oct. 23, at Union Canal Tunnel Park. The women's race will begin at 3 p.m., while the men's race will start at 3:45 p.m. The Dutchmen will compete in the MAC Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, which will be hosted by Stevenson University at the Greenspring Campus in Owings Mills, Md. The women's race is set for 11 a.m., and the men's race is scheduled for noon. Lebanon Valley will also participate in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14, at 11 a.m., which will be hosted by Lock Haven University at the West Branch Cross Country Course in Lock Haven. The program will look to qualify runners for the NCAA National Championships a week later.

Lebanon Valley's women's cross country schedule can be found here, and the men's cross country schedule can be found here. 

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