BETHLEHEM, Pa. – For the third straight year, Navy men's cross country had the individual champion as the Midshipmen claimed their fifth straight Patriot League Championship team title on Friday afternoon at the Goodman Family Cross Country Course in Bethlehem, Pa. Led by senior Justin Mumford's first-place finish, the Mids placed five runners in the top 10 to record a team-low score of 28 in the 8K race to win the event by 30 points.
 
Mumford won the men's race to collect Patriot League Men's Outstanding Performer of the Meet, marking the third consecutive season the Mids claimed the individual title (Murphy Smith won in 2023 and 2024). Fellow Midshipman Luke Bowlsby earned Patriot League Men's Rookie of the Meet honors as the top finishing freshman, while Navy head coach Aaron Lanzel was tabbed Coach of the Year for the fifth consecutive season.
 
"I was delighted to see the guys who trained to such a high-level race like they should today," Lanzel said after the meet. "Not everyone got to have their best day, but as a whole they all executed the race to make it a possibility, and their dedication to each other made a victory the natural result. Justin got his well-deserved position at the top of the mountain. He can answer challenges and challenge himself at the front when none come from others, a great racer."
 
Navy's top seven all finished in the top 20 to score a team-low 28 points and claim the team's 13th Patriot League championship. Army was second with a score of 58 points, while American was third with 116 points. Boston University (117 points) and Bucknell (135) rounded out the top five with Colgate (148), Holy Cross (158), meet-host Lafayette (191), Lafayette (248), and Loyola (296) finishing in order.
 
Mumford took individual medalist honors with a time of 23:59.0 to lead a team of Midshipmen in the top 10. Sophomore Dane Eike was fourth overall with a time of 24:25.4, while fellow sophomore James Partlow was sixth with a finish of 24:31.9. Juniors Max Girardet and Logan Flament finished back-to-back in eighth and ninth, crossing the finish line with times of 24:35.1 and 24:38.4, respectively, to close out Navy's top five.
 
For their efforts, Mumford, Eike, and Partlow were named First Team All-Patriot League, while Girardet and Flament earned second-team honors.
 
"Dane arrived today," Lanzel continued. "He answered the call from mid race to be in good position for the last half mile, and then he stormed up to be a top tier conference runner. He and James worked together very well through the race and while some made larger impacts for our team earlier, Dane and James were closers for the win.
 
"Max put together a superb 7600 meters and gutted out the final 400 for a race I am proud of him for putting together. Logan put himself in the heat of the fight and then closed down hard to round out our top five. He committed to being a scorer for a winning team when we needed it."
 
Sophomore Patrick Gandini, who was the 2024 Rookie of the Meet, just missed all-conference distinction, finishing 15th overall (top 14 earn All-Patriot League) with a time of 24:52.3, while senior Matt Newell closed out the Navy counters in 18th with a time of 25:03.8.
 
Senior team captain Jackson Nguyen notched a top-20 finish, claiming 19th with a time of 25:08.0. Junior Owen Ahten was two spots back in 21st, crossing the line in 25:10.6. Bowlsby was the top freshman in the race, finishing 23rd overall with a time of 25:16.0. Additionally, sophomore Trevor Hayes (25:26.8) and junior Zack Poekert (25:47.3) competed in the event, finishing in 26th and 35th, correspondingly.
 
"Patrick, Matthew, and Jackson have had and will have better days," commented Lanzel. "And yet they also committed to being a runner our team would win with if others faltered. None faltered. 
 
"Even with Owen, Luke, Trevor, and Zack. These four all are building their college experience either because they just got started as a freshman/sophomore or are making up for lost time. They all raced well at the end of the season to launch them up a level for the next. Their future is bright and the teams as well with all of these dedicated souls."
 
Up next, both Navy teams will have two weeks to prepare for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional, hosted at Lehigh on Friday, Nov. 14.
 
 
2025 Patriot League Cross Country Men's Major Awards
Men's Outstanding Performer of the Meet: Justin Mumford, Navy, Sr.
Men's Rookie of the Meet: Luke Bowlsby, Navy, Fr.
Men's Coaching Staff of the Meet: Navy (Head Coach Aaron Lanzel)
 
2025 Patriot League Cross Country Men's Championship Team Results
1. Navy, 28
2. Army, 58
3. American, 116
4. Boston University, 117
5. Bucknell, 135
6. Colgate, 148
7. Holy Cross, 158
8. Lehigh, 191
9. Lafayette, 248
10. Loyola, 296
 
First-Team All-Patriot League (Men): 1. Justin Mumford, Navy, Sr.; 2. Anthony Diaz, Army, Sr.; 3. Joseph Mahon, Holy Cross, Jr.; 4. Dane Eike, Navy, So.; 5. Kaden Kluth, American, Sr.; 6. James Partlow, Navy, So.; 7. Parker Schneider, Boston University, Sr.
 
Second-Team All-Patriot League (Men): 8. Max Girardet, Navy, Jr.; 9. Logan Flament, Navy, Jr.; 10. Henry Didden, Bucknell, Sr.; 11. Maximus Haynia, Army, Jr.; 12. Adam Furman, Army, Jr.; 13. Liam Lyons, Holy Cross, Sr.; 14. Ethan Pratt-Perez, Bucknell, So.