Christendom College’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams are heading back to the national stage, with both earning bids to the 2026 United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA) National Championships. The Crusaders will compete Saturday, November 7, at Penn State Fayette in Pennsylvania, looking to build upon last year’s success, when both teams finished third in the nation.
The national championship bids follow a strong season for Christendom’s cross-country program, highlighted by both teams capturing first place at the Pitt-Greensburg Fall Classic on October 10. At the meet, Christopher McAdam led the men’s team with a first-place individual finish, followed closely by Luke Campbell in second place. Freshman Ella Schatz claimed first place in the women’s race, with freshman Isabel Haslam finishing second. The strong individual performances propelled both teams to first-place finishes overall.
Just a week later, the team had another impressive showing at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational at Gettysburg College on October 17, where 17 of Christendom’s 19 runners set new personal records. In the women’s 6-kilometer race, Schatz led the Crusaders with a time of 26:26, improving her previous personal record by more than 90 seconds. Haslam followed in 27:19, shaving three minutes off her previous best. All six of Christendom’s leading female runners maintained an average pace of under eight minutes per mile.
The men’s team enjoyed similar success in the 8-kilometer race, with Campbell finishing in 28:05, becoming the first Christendom runner to break the 30-minute mark in the event this season. McAdam finished close behind in 28:19, followed by sophomore Robert Wright in 28:35. All three runners shattered their previous personal records, maintaining an average pace of under six minutes per mile.
The Crusaders will now look to carry that momentum into the national championships, where Christendom has enjoyed considerable success in recent years. Both the men’s and women’s teams earned third-place finishes at the 2025 USCAA National Championships, while the women’s program has also enjoyed several strong national performances in recent years, finishing as national runner-up in 2022 and taking third place in 2024.
To learn more stats, rosters, schedules, and more, visit christendomathletics.com.