Cross Country 10/19/2026 3:00:00 PM #AEXC Week 6: Athletes Excel in Final Challenge Before #AEXC Championship BOSTON – Eight different programs competed at six different meets this past weekend in final tuneup before the #AEXC Championship on Friday, Oct. 30. NEED TO KNOW UMass Lowell took part in the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, with the men placing 36th as a team in the Blue 8K race, ahead of Clemson and Liberty, with two runners in the top 170. The women placed 14th in the women's white 6k race. Mary-Kate Finn competed in the Blue 6k race against some of the best in the nation, taking 92nd individually. At the R.K. Muncey Invitational, Binghamton earned a men’s and women’s sweep, while the UAlbany women took second and the UAlbany men placed third. UMass Lowell’s men took second in the event. UMBC and NJIT competed on Friday, with both programs turning in strong performances. On Saturday, the Maine men took 12th in the ECAC Championship, while the women placed 17th in the event. Sunday at the Fall Foliage Invitational, host Vermont won the women’s race and took second in the men’s race. Bryant was third in both competitions. The 2026 #AEXC Championship will be held on Friday, Oct. 30 on the campus of the University at Albany. #AEXC Weekly Award Winners – Oct. 19 Female Performer of the Week Mary-Kate Finn, UMass Lowell – Gr., Nashua, N.H. Competed in the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, taking 92nd overall with a time of 20:51.5 in the 6k event. This is Finn’s first Performer of the Week honor this season. Female Rookie of the Week Maggie Tripp, Maine – Fr., Saco, Maine. Delivered a strong performance at the ECAC Championships on Saturday afternoon, finishing 88th overall in the 6K race with a time of 21:52.3. This is Tripp’s first Rookie of the Week honor this season. Male Performer of the Week Will Simard, UMass Lowell – So., Francestown, N.H. Led the River Hawks in the blue 8k at the Under Armour Pre-National Invitational, finishing in 147th place out of 339 with a personal-best time of 24:30.3. This is Simard’s second Performer of the Week honor this year. Male Rookie of the Week Kai Morrow, Maine - Fr., Morrisburg, Ontario Raced in the IC4A Championships on Saturday afternoon, finishing 92nd overall in the 8K race with a time of 25:16.8 and was the third Black Bear to finish. This is Morrow’s first Rookie of the Week honor. 2026 Weekly Award Winners Sept. 2 - Male Performer: Eamon Burke, Vermont; Male Rookie: Myles Head, Maine; Female Performer: Zoey McNabb, Vermont; Female Rookie: Zoey McNabb, Vermont Sept. 9 - Male Performer: Bobby Mayclim, Binghamton; Male Rookie: Seb Melero, Bryant; Female Performer: Kelley MacElhiney, Bryant; Female Rookie: Taylor Blackwelder, NJIT Sept. 21 - Male Performer: Chris Guerin, UMass Lowell; Male Rookie: Sean Finnegan, UMass Lowell; Female Performer: Evelyn Wool, Maine; Female Rookie: Natalie Persson, Bryant. Oct. 5 - Male Performer: Will Simard, UMass Lowell; Male Rookie: Sean Finnegan, UMass Lowell; Female Performer: Zoey McNabb, Vermont; Female Rookie: Zoey McNabb, Vermont Oct. 12 - Male Performer: Will Locke, Vermont; Male Rookie: Seb Melero, Bryant; Female Performer: Zoey McNabb, Vermont; Female Rookie: Zoey McNabb, Vermont Oct. 19 - Male Performer: Will Simard, UMass Lowell; Male Rookie: Kai Morrow, Maine; Female Performer: Mary-Kate Finn, UMass Lowell; Female Rookie: Maggie Tripp, Maine ABOUT AMERICA EAST Founded in 1979, the America East Conference is an elite NCAA Division I athletic conference that fosters an environment for student-athletes to become champions. Comprised of academically renowned, like-minded member institutions located in the Northeast region of the United States, America East is committed to broad-based excellence and progressive in its approach to supporting its more than 3,500 student-athletes across 18 sponsored sports. For more information, visit www.AmericaEast.com and follow the America East Conference its social media channels, @AmericaEast. - America East Conference – Where Champions Rise -