WESTMINSTER, Md. – The regionally-ranked Franklin & Marshall men's cross country team placed sixth at the 2023 Centennial Conference Championships which were hosted by McDaniel on Saturday. The Diplomats scored 193 points, just edging out Muhlenberg to match their finish from a year ago. That finish makes it back-to-back seasons in which the Diplomats have posted their highest team finish since the 2014 season.

The Diplomats had three runners among the top 50 finishers. Alfonso Knoll led the way for F&M as his time of 27:53.1 gave him a 31st place finish for the highest placement of his career at the conference championships. Noah Hall (28:14.7) and Owen McCann (28:41.6) also had career best finishes at the meet, registering 40th and 47th place showings, respectively.

Franklin & Marshall then came storming to the finish line as a group with Jake Naddelman and Alex Miller claiming the final two scoring positions. Naddelman posted his best finish at the conference championships as a senior with a 59th place finish in 29:10.8. Miller was just behind him in 64th with a time of 29:46.8. First-year Donnie Jellig broke the 30 minute mark on the challenging course with a time of 29:49.4 to take 66th, with classmate Aiden Cotter just behind him in 71st (30.07.9).

The fast and furious charge to the finish continued even after the seventh Diplomat had crossed the line. Chris Mayo (30:22.4; 73rd place), Cole Smith (31:44.8; 82nd place), George Williams (31.59.2; 84th place), Holden Brown (34:22.6; 90th place), and Nick Trapani (34:57.5; 92nd place) also competed for the Diplomats in what the first cross country championship for each of these runners with the exception of Mayo.

Men's cross country will now have two weeks before lining up again with several of these teams and many more who are also in the regional rankings when the Diplomats travel to Lock Haven for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional. Qualifying spots to the NCAA Division III Championships will be up for grabs at that meet which is set for Saturday, November 11.