LANCASTER, Pa. – The Franklin & Marshall men's cross country team had an influx of young talent join the Diplomats during the 2024 season. With another year of experience to work with, the Diplomats' 11 member squad will look to climb the conference and regional ranks this fall. The top finishers from last year's Centennial Conference and Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship meets were each first-years who will look to benefit from that year of experience. With three incoming first-years to the roster, F&M will officially kick off its 2025 campaign with the Franklin & Marshall Invitational on Friday, August 29.
Athletes to Watch
Even with a young team, seven Diplomats return to the squad after competing in the postseason last fall. Sophomore Tommy Tapino set a personal best time of 26:40.1 when he placed 93rd to lead the Diplomats at the regional championship. Classmate Sean Gorman also brook the 27-minute mark at the regional championship last fall, just two weeks after turning in F&M's best time at the Centennial Conference Championship. Sophomore Zach Houff will also be looking to run near the front of the Diplomats' pack as he posted a season-best time of 27:03.9 at Gettysburg and was routinely one of the team's scoring runners a season ago.
Aiden Cotter leads the upper classmen on the team after he competed in both the conference and regional championships during his first two seasons with the team. He owns a personal best time of 27:36.8 which he set last fall in Gettysburg. Classmate Cole Smith and sophomore Addison Neuen both eclipsed the 28-minute mark last fall and will be strong candidates for consistent scorers on this year's team. Junior George Williams and sophomore Andrew Li both return after gaining valuable postseason experience last fall, while sophomore Habib Oberoi also returns to the team after being limited to just two races during his rookie campaign.
Looking to bolster the team's depth this coming fall will be the additions of first-years Harvey Li (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Brian Mix (Wellesley, Mass.)
In the Polls
Franklin & Marshall was predicted for an eighth-place team finish in a preseason vote of the Centennial Conference's head coaches. That preseason poll matches F&M's placement from the 2024 championship meet before the Diplomats went on to finish 18th as a team at the Mid-Atlantic Championship. However, the Diplomats were just three points out of improving their conference placement in 2024 and are just two seasons removed from back-to-back sixth-place finishers at the conference championship. The complete Centennial Conference Preseason Poll is available here.
The Road Ahead
The 2025 season will have a very familiar look as the Diplomats have their eyes towards the postseason. The team will compete in four regular season meets before the postseason gets underway in early November. Following the home-opening meet, F&M will travel to Gettysburg twice for the Little Three (Sept. 5) and Gettysburg Invitational (Oct. 18) meets. In between those events, the team will race at the prestigious Paul Short Run on Friday, October 3. Franklin & Marshall should be well prepared for the postseason as Gettysburg serves as the host of the 2025 Centennial Conference Championship while Newville, Pa. is once again the site of the regional championship. Qualified teams and individuals will line up for the NCAA Division III National Championship on Saturday, November 22 in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
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