NEW LONDON, N.H. – The Saint Joseph's College men's cross country team successfully defended its conference crown Sunday afternoon, capturing the 2026 Great Northeast Athletic Conference Championship at Colby-Sawyer College.
In another tightly contested championship race, the Monks totaled 38 points to edge runner-up Norwich University by four points. Emmanuel College followed in third with 66 points. Saint Joseph's placed four runners inside the top eight overall and posted a five-runner team time of 2:24:16 with a 28:51 average.
Graduate student Jacob Pelletier (Augusta, Maine) delivered the individual championship, completing the 8K course in 26:51.1. Freshman Sam Tooley (Camden, Maine) followed directly behind in second place with a time of 27:50.7, giving Saint Joseph's a commanding 1-2 finish at the front of the field.
Pelletier's championship performance earned him GNAC Runner of the Year honors, while Tooley was named the GNAC Rookie of the Year following his runner-up finish.
NEED TO KNOW:
Sunday's victory marks the second consecutive GNAC Championship for the Monks. Saint Joseph's won the 2025 title by just two points over Norwich, 44-46, before returning this fall and once again prevailing in a close battle with the Cadets, this time by a 38-42 margin.
Pelletier climbed from third overall at the 2025 championship to the top of the podium this season, while junior Isaac Keresey (Pittsfield, Maine) turned in another outstanding championship performance with a sixth-place finish in 29:00.8. Freshman Noel Heath (Scarborough, Maine) followed in eighth at 29:34.5, giving the Monks four runners among the first eight finishers.
Freshman Griffith Heath (Scarborough, Maine) completed the championship scoring five, placing 21st overall in 30:59.2. Three freshmen — Tooley, Noel Heath and Griffith Heath — contributed to the Monks' five scoring positions.
FOR THE MONKS:
- Jacob Pelletier (Gr., Augusta, Maine) – 1st, 26:51.1
- Sam Tooley (Fr., Camden, Maine) – 2nd, 27:50.7
- Isaac Keresey (Jr., Pittsfield, Maine) – 6th, 29:00.8
- Noel Heath (Fr., Scarborough, Maine) – 8th, 29:34.5
- Griffith Heath (Fr., Scarborough, Maine) – 21st, 30:59.2
- Jackson Widerstrom (Fr., South Berwick, Maine) – 22nd, 31:43.4
- Nick Munyaneza (So., Gorham, Maine) – 25th, 32:06.1
- Aidan Mills (Sr., Ontario Center, N.Y.) – 26th, 32:24.8
- Alberth Avila-Valdez (Fr., Dumont, N.J.) – 30th, 33:02.6
- Kyle Benson (Sr., Biddeford, Maine) – 34th, 34:22.6
- Aaron Sanborn (Fr., Windham, Maine) – 39th, 36:21.1
- Dalton Feeney (Jr., Medway, Mass.) – 45th, 38:16.8
COACH'S CORNER:
"This group has worked incredibly hard all season while making sure to have fun along the way. They bring great energy and a positive attitude every day, and today was no different. It was a close race where every spot mattered, and our guys battled from start to finish, competed for one another, and took full advantage of the opportunity in front of them. This is a special group that genuinely enjoys being around each other, and they have made this season an absolute blast to coach. I couldn't be prouder of the way they competed and represented our program today," said Head Coach Mike Burleson.
UP NEXT!
The newly crowned GNAC Champions will continue postseason competition at the NCAA Division III East Regional Championship on Saturday, November 14 at the Wainwright Recreation Complex in South Portland, Maine. Bates College will serve as the event's host.
