On Saturday, Nov. 22, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams finished their seasons by competing in the NCAA National Meet, held in Spartanburg, S.C. Both teams capped off another successful year with a strong showing, with the men finishing 25th and the women finishing tied for 23rd.
The men’s 8K race was highlighted by junior Will Shuflit finishing 16th overall, good for All-American honors—the second time in his career he has done so. With the nod, Shuflit became just the third runner in program history to earn multiple All-America honors.
For the men’s program, the race was the culmination of another strong season. Earlier this year, they successfully defended their Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) title, winning the trophy for the seventh straight year. In regionals, the team finished second, and Shuflit became the fifth CC runner to win the meet. He also successfully defended his SCAC individual title at the conference championship meet.
The Tigers will look to build upon the momentum this young squad has, as they only lose two seniors who ran in the National Meet. They will return six all-SCAC runners, including four underclassmen.
The same day, the women’s team finished tied for 23rd place in the 6K race, coming away with two athletes being named All-Americans. Senior Alison Mueller-Hickler, alongside junior Charlie Flint, finished 26th and 30th overall, respectively, good enough for All-America nods. It was the fifth time in program history that the team has earned multiple All-American honors in a year.
“It might not have been our ideal day, but I’m proud of everything that has gone into this season to get us to this point,” Head Coach Alex Nichols said in a post-race interview. “Finishing in the top 25 at a national championship is a great way to end the season.”
Although it might not have been an ideal finish for the Tigers, the race still wrapped up a very successful season. They won their fifth-straight SCAC Title earlier in the year, with 10 athletes being named all-conference runners along the way. Mueller-Hickler won the individual title, adding another accolade to an already strong season and career.
Despite losing five seniors, they’ll still return five all-SCAC runners, including SCAC Newcomer of the Year Sadie Honig ‘29, as well as Flint, the newly named All-American.
The week after the national meet, Shuflit and Mueller-Hickler were named the NCAA DIII West Region Athletes of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA), marking the first time in CC history the award has been swept by the Tigers.