Coming off of dominating 2024 seasons, finishing top 10 in all in-season meets and 6th in the UAA championships, the Case Western Reserve University men’s and women’s cross country teams are both back and ready to win a national championship. 

“Our team culture feels strong, we have a really good dynamic going on between classes, the freshmen are bonding with each other, and I think we’re going to be able to accomplish some really great things this season,” second-year Ciara Ledford said.

In the 2024 season, the women had their best showing in the All-Ohio Invitational placing third of thirteen Division III teams that competed, coming in ahead of Franciscan University of Steubenville and Otterbein University. Ledford, although just coming back from an injury, has high hopes for the season and wants to see herself and her teammates succeed. 

“I hope that my teammates and I are all able to get stronger and faster together, and not only to crush workouts and races, but also to grow closer and be able to rely on each other,” Ledford said. “Personally, I’m coming back from injury, so I’d just like to be able to run again, but I’m excited to see what everyone accomplishes and to support them through the season.”

The women will graduate seven seniors this spring, including fourth-year co-captains Lauren Iagnemma and Julia Hluck, but also welcomed eight freshmen to the roster this season. Ledford believes the combination of veteran leadership, an energized freshman class and the addition of Assistant Coach Jacob Wahlenmaier sets the team up for a strong year.

“The women’s team has some really strong seniors running this season, some very promising sophomores, and some freshmen coming in from strong high school seasons,” Ledford said. “We also have some new coaches, who I think will be able to help spread attention among athletes so everyone is able to train and perform at their very best.”

Like the women, the men delivered a standout performance at last year’s All-Ohio Invitational, finishing first among 14 Division III teams and outperforming programs such as Ohio Northern University, Kenyon College and College of Wooster. Both squads will return to the meet on Sept. 19.

Second-year Donovan Crowley is eager to build on last season’s momentum and has high expectations for the year ahead.

“Last season, there was typically a long string of runners before a pack of Case guys crossed the finish line to solidify our place at meets,” Crowley said. “This year, we hope to have a larger pack that sticks together more toward the front of races to place better at UAA, Regionals, and hopefully, Nationals.”

Men’s co-captain and third-year Jacob Slater enters this season with confidence and high expectations for the team.

“Going into this season I feel good and confident in my guys,” Slater said. “We got a solid group of returners and a beast of a freshmen class. Our pack is going to be tight and I think any guy could be in our top seven week to week, which for me is exciting because it means every day our guys are battling for spots.”

Slater believes the team can build on last year’s progress, learn from past setbacks and push for a national championship berth.

“Last season we had a kind of a mentality reset in the middle of the year that got us back on the right track and moving toward a nationals spot,” Slater said. “We ended up coming up short by a few spots, but I think because of that the guys are hungry and ready to commit from the jump this year, but commitment is going to be the key.”

Ledford points to team chemistry as the defining strength of both squads. She says it’s what makes running for CWRU so rewarding, and what drives her desire to see the team succeed.

“We’re a coed team, which makes for an interesting but stronger and more enjoyable dynamic. It’s a tough sport, and one where your individual achievements are largely due to your own actions and not your teammates’, but everyone has to go through the same workouts and run the same races, and at the end of the day we all just want to see each other succeed,” Ledford said. “Cross-country is an individual sport if you don’t have a strong team, but when you have a team like the one at Case, it’s as much a team sport as any other.”

The cross country season for both the men and women will officially kick off this Friday Aug. 29, at the Bill Sudek Invitational hosted at the University Farm.