ANNAPOLIS, Md. – The Navy men's and women's cross country teams return to action Saturday morning as the Midshipmen host the Cantello Invitational at the USNA Cross Country Course in Annapolis. The women's 6K begins at 9:45 a.m. with the men's 4.9-mile run at 10:30 a.m. In addition, there will be an open 5K at 9:00 a.m. with an alumni "Bertha" mile following at 11:15 a.m.
 
Live results will be available from Leone Timing.
 
Meet Participants
Navy, George Washington, Georgetown (women only), Loyola, and UMBC
 
Cantello Invitational
The Cantello Invitational – formerly the Navy Invitational – was named in honor of legendary Navy coach Al Cantello who passed away on January 17, 2024. (VIDEO: Al Cantello: Enduring Legacy)
 
"Al went to great lengths to develop and establish this meet and the Navy Cross Country program," current Navy men's cross country head coach Aaron Lanzel said of his former coach. "The course is memorable for any competitor who has run on it. There are over half a century of recorded records and top performances to compare to on this tough terrain. The Invitational is memorable for Navy runners from all generations who tested their early season preparation to figure out who was ready to be a true varsity athlete under the keen eye of Coach Cantello. But, the most memorable aspect is Al Cantello himself, and the many stories, enduring legacy, and lasting effects he had on the sport and Navy Athletics. The event can now inspire the sharing of endless stories in honor of Coach Cantello, something that is extraordinarily deserved."
 
Cantello was a standout member of the La Salle track & field team from 1951-55, where was a two-time All-American in the javelin. Cantello, who served in the Marine Corps for 10 years, was a world-class competitor in the javelin throw who once held every national and international record in the event.
 
Cantello later accepted a coaching position at the Naval Academy in 1968, marking the beginning of his coaching legacy. Cantello, who retired from coaching on August 30, 2018, served as Navy's head cross country coach for 50 years. During his time working with Midshipmen athletes, Cantello collected a combined 49 N-Star victories over Army as the head coach of cross country and track & field programs.
 
Competing at the Heptagonal Championships through 2002, Navy finished in the top three on 21 occasions, including every year from 1978-86 with outright titles in 1974, 1992, and 1996. After joining the Patriot League in 2003, Cantello and the Mids asserted their dominance on their new conference mates with four second-place finishes over the first-five years before running off eight Patriot League Championships in nine years from 2008 through 2016.
 
The program's success at the conference level carried over to the national scene with 12 total appearances at the NCAA Championships. Following the program's first NCAA appearance in 1972, the Mids competed in 11 more championships (1974, '75, '76, '84, '85, '88, '89, '92, '97, '16, '17). The 1985 and 1992 teams recorded the highest finish for a Midshipmen squad, as they both placed seventh overall.
 
Aside from Navy's postseason accolades, Cantello made sure the Mids were nearly always in line to check the Army-Navy Star box. Victorious at a 76.5 percent clip, Cantello led the Mids to 37 wins over the Black Knights in his 50 years in charge. The program's most successful run came between 1973 and 1986 when the team won 13 straight head-to-head contests versus its service academy rival.
 
Navy runners found a host of success with Cantello's guidance as 10 student-athletes earned All-America status in cross country and/or distance track events. Five of those Mids were multi-time All-Americans: Ronnie Harris (1985 – XC, 1987 – 3K and 5K); Greg Keller (1992 – Mile & Steeplechase, 1992 – XC, 1993- Mile & Steeplechase); Todd Washburn (1993 - Indoor 5K, 1993 - Outdoor 5K), Jon Clemens (1997 – Indoor 5K, 1997 – Outdoor 3K & Steeplechase) and John Mentzer (1997 – Indoor 5K, 1997 – Outdoor 10K, 1998 – Outdoor 10).
 
Additionally, Harris (1988, '92, '96) and Mentzer (2008) were two of the six Midshipmen to have competed at the United States Olympic Track & Field Trials under the direction of Cantello. James Dare (1968, '72), Mark Newman (1996, '00, '04), Aaron Lanzel (2004) and Erik Schmidt (2004) make up the complete list of Cantello's Midshipmen distance athletes to have competed for the right to wear the Red, White and Blue in Olympic competition. Dare qualified for Team USA as an alternate in 1972, while Harris qualified for the team in 1996.
 
As a result of his teams' success, Cantello was recognized as the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year four times (1984, '85, '92, '16), NCAA Mid-Atlantic Track & Field Assistant Coach of the Year in 2010 and Patriot League Coach of the Year eight times (2008, '09, '10, '11, '13, '14, '15, '16). In December of 2013, he was inducted into the USTFCCCA Coaches Hall of Fame.
 
Patriot League Athlete of the Week
WOMEN: On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the Patriot League announced its weekly award winners for cross country and Navy freshman Brianne Duynstee claimed Rookie of the Week for her efforts at the Salisbury Fall Classic.
 
Duynstee led Navy to a season-opening victory at the annual Salisbury Fall Classic at Winter Place Park. She earned individual medalist honors in her first collegiate race to lead a group of seven Mids that finished in the top 15. The freshman led the Midshipmen through the 6K course, stopping the clock at 21:04.2 for a first-place finish. Behind Duynstee's first-place finish, Navy posted a team-low 21 points to win the team competition.
 
Salisbury Fall Classic Recap (WOMEN):
The Navy women's cross country team officially opened their 2026 campaign, competing against a regional field at the annual Salisbury Fall Classic at Winter Place Park. Freshmen Brianne Duynstee and Emily Downing finished first and second individually in their first collegiate race to lead a group of seven Mids that finished in the top 15.
 
Navy finished with a team-low 21 points, while George Mason was second with 47 points. Meet-host Salisbury was third with 67 points with Regent (125 points), District of Columbia (149), and Maryland-Eastern Shore (161) rounding out the team scoring.
 
Duynstee led the Midshipmen through the 6K course, stopping the clock at 21:04.2 for a first-place finish. She was followed closely by Downing, who claimed second with a time of 21:10.5.
 
Salisbury's Anna Bodmer (21:17.5) finished third and George Mason's Ailbhe Barnes (21:33.8) was fourth with four Midshipmen finishing in order from fifth to eighth. Senior Caroline Carter, competing in her first cross country event for the Mids, was fifth with a time of 21:34.2, while freshmen Lucy Myers (21:45.3) and Sam Vanderhave (21:46.0) took sixth and seventh, respectively. Junior Amelie Loomis closed out the Midshipmen in the top 10 in eighth place with a time of 21:53.9. Freshman Regan Schultz (22:23.1) rounded out the top-seven finishers for Navy, crossing the finish line in 14th in her first collegiate race.
 
Eight additional Midshipmen competed in the race, all finishing in the top half of the field. Sophomore Lorraine Goldenberg (22:32.7) and freshman Hannah O'Neill (22:38.8) crossed the finish line in order to take 16th and 17th. Junior Marianna Pizem (22:48.9) was two spots back in 19th with freshman Kenzie Phillips (22:55.9) just behind in 20th. Junior Stella Perazzini (23:07.6), freshman Sofie Brandenburg (23:16.5), sophomore Caroline Montemaro (23:23.6), and freshman Audrey Dunn (23:56.6) all finished in the top 30, placing 22nd, 25th, 27th, and 29th, respectively.
 
Salisbury Fall Classic Recap (MEN):
The Navy men's cross country team opened the 2026 season at the Salisbury Fall Classic at Winter Place Park. Fourteen Midshipmen – two sophomores and 12 freshmen – competed in the 8K event, posting a team score of 36 to finish second overall.
 
George Mason's Alex Deroussel (24:51.6) and Tarek Benlamkaddem (24:53.8) finished first and second to help the Patriot win the event with a team-low 19 points.
 
Sophomore Jack Hefty was the Midshipmen's top finisher. The Wisconsin native shaved 22 seconds off of his time from a year ago to finish the event in fifth place with a time of 25:11.4. Two spots back, fellow sophomore Jacob Officer crossed the finish line with a time of 25:31.5 in seventh.
 
Freshman Wes Anderson was Navy's top rookie, clocking a time of 25:42.0 to finish in eighth place. Fellow freshmen Carson Fischer (25:46.8), Sam Wood (25:57.9), and Liam Beighley (25:58.9) finished in order from 10th to 12th.
 
Four additional freshmen – Owen Reece (26:14.6), Gavin Zais (26:14.7), Myles Wagner (26:20.1), and Davis Garrett (26:26.3) – took 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, showcasing the pack-running strategy that Lanzel has emphasized throughout his tenure. Freshmen Logan Carlson (22nd – 26:37.9), Braden Little (23rd – 26:45.7), Clarence Loomis (27th – 27:22.5), and Benjamin Schmidt (30th – 27:44.9) all finished in the top 30 of their first collegiate race.
 
Up Next
Following the Cantello Invitational, Navy will head to Terre Haute, Indiana for the John McNichols Invitational hosted by the Indiana State on Saturday, Sept. 19.