Courtesy of CACC Athletics

New Haven, Conn. (8/30/24) The 2024 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Cross Country season gets underway next weekend with several teams in action in various races throughout the region.

The regular season will be a buildup to the 2024 CACC Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships on Sunday, Oct. 27, at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia, Pa. Thomas Jefferson University will be serving as the host school of the event, as the men will run in an 8k race, while the women will compete in a 5k. Wilmington University is the defending men's champion, while Jefferson returns as the reigning women's champion.

MEN'S TOP RETURNEES
Several top returnees populate both the men's and women's sides this season. More than 50% of the top-15 finishers in last fall's men's conference championship race return in 2024, including two-time CACC Runner of the Year Joey Datta (Caldwell University), who was first at the meet and finished nearly :30 ahead of the second finisher at Belmont last fall. He has won each of the last two CACC Championships (2022 & 2023). The top-15 finishers in the conference championship earn All-CACC status. The returning All-CACC performers are listed below and include their finish in last year's championship race.

Joey Datta (Caldwell University, 1st Place)
Trent Taylor (Wilmington University, 5th Place)
Kosiani Dunkley (Goldey-Beacom College, 9th Place)
Daniel Chinchilla (Felician University, 11th Place)
Leonard Laine (Felician University, 12th Place)
John Ferry (Goldey-Beacom College, 13th Place)
Carter Sparwasser (Wilmington University, 14th Place)
Dan Wyshinski (Wilmington University, 15th Place)

WOMEN'S TOP RETURNEES
A bevy of All-CACC performers from last season return on the women's side as well in 2024. Twelve (12) of the top-15 finishers are back this fall including Jefferson's Ana Eshraghi who won the CACC Runner of the Year Award in 2023 by winning the championship race. The returning All-CACC performers are listed below and include their finish at last season's CACC Championship meet.

Ana Eshraghi (Thomas Jefferson University, 1st Place)
Emma McNamee (Holy Family University, 2nd Place)
Sydney Watts (Chestnut Hill College, 3rd Place)
Nyjashia Smith (Goldey-Beacom College, 4th Place)
Tiffany Banning (Wilmington University, 6th Place)
Gabby Hassler (Chestnut Hill College, 8th Place)
Audrey Pham (Thomas Jefferson University, 9th Place)
Amirah Beasley (Georgian Court University, 10th Place)
Lydia Shaw (Thomas Jefferson University 11th Place)
Cynthia Delapaz (Felician University, 12th Place)
Annalee Capuano (Thomas Jefferson University, 14th Place)
Cassidy Burr (Wilmington University, 15th Place)

MEETS TO WATCH FOR
PHILADELPHIA CROSS COUNTRY CLASSIC (Sept. 9) – Jefferson is back to once again to host the Philadelphia Cross Country Classic at Belmont Plateau, which will serve as a preview for the CACC Championship in late October. Five CACC schools are slated to compete in the event including Jefferson, Dominican University, Chestnut Hill College, Goldey-Beacom College and Holy Family University).

STOCKTON OSPREY OPEN (Sept. 14) - The second weekend of the 2024 season will see four teams head to the Stockton Osprey Open including Caldwell, Goldey-Beacom, Holy Family and Jefferson.

DELAWARE INVITATIONAL (Sept. 20) - Four CACC programs head to the Division I Delaware Invite including Chestnut Hill, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom and Wilmington.

PAUL SHORT INVITATIONAL (Oct. 5) – One of the great collegiate cross country races returns this season on the first weekend in October and will feature four CACC schools in action including Caldwell, GBC, Jefferson and WilmU. The meet is one of the largest in the country and features schools from all three divisions of the NCAA.

NJIT HIGHLANDER CHALLENGE (Oct. 12) – Several CACC schools will meet up in Northern New Jersey in mid-October at the Highlander, including Caldwell, Dominican, Holy Family and Wilmington.

ROWAN BORDER BATTLE (Oct. 19) – The week before the conference championship will feature Rowan's showdown and four CACC teams will be meeting up there for an exciting race including Chestnut Hill, Georgian Court, Holy Family and Post University.

HOW TO WATCH 2024 CACC CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
The CACC Network will once again broadcast live from the CACC Cross Country Championships at Belmont Plateau on Sunday, Oct. 27, beginning at 8:45 a.m. The men's race begins at 9 a.m., followed by the women's race at 10 a.m. Coverage of the post-race awards ceremony will be shown as well. Fans can visit caccnetwork.com to watch the broadcast, or can view the network through its various apps on Roku, Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, iTunes store and Google Play store.