LOCK HAVEN, PA — The Susquehanna University men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete at the 2026 Landmark Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, as the River Hawks look to build on a promising season and challenge the conference's top programs. The race is set to be run at Lock Haven's West Branch Cross Country Course, which will also serve as the site for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14. 

Susquehanna enters the championship following a season of strong individual performances and competitive team finishes. The men's squad is led by reigning Landmark Conference individual champion Derick Blair, who returns after establishing a program record at last year's championship. On the women's side, senior Alison Sponseller has emerged as a consistent front-runner, leading the River Hawks in each of their first two meets and again at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational in October. Both the River Hawks men's and women's teams were ranked fifth in the Landmark's Pre-Championship poll. 

Men's Cross Country
The Susquehanna men's cross country team enters the Landmark Conference Championships looking to build on a successful 2025 postseason and another strong start to the 2026 campaign.
The River Hawks finished fourth at last year's Landmark Conference Championships, exceeding their fifth-place position in the conference's preseason poll. Blair led the way by capturing the individual championship in a program-record time of 24:28.85, becoming Susquehanna's first men's individual conference champion since 2011. His performance also ranked as the second-fastest time in Landmark Conference championship history.

Blair has continued that momentum into his junior season. He opened the 2026 campaign with an individual victory at the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen Invitational, completing the 8K course in 25:45.4 to help Susquehanna finish second in the team standings. He followed that performance with another first-place finish at the DeSales University Cross Country Invitational, clocking 25:30.5 and finishing more than 14 seconds ahead of the runner-up. The River Hawks placed third as a team at DeSales.

Blair's early-season success earned him Landmark Conference Men's Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors following the Lebanon Valley Invitational. His continued consistency will make him one of Susquehanna's key competitors as he returns to the conference championship in pursuit of another standout performance.

Susquehanna also returns several important contributors from last year's fourth-place championship team. Senior Hunter Valentino and junior Evander Lackman both earned All-Landmark Honorable Mention recognition in 2025, finishing 15th and 19th, respectively. Valentino established a personal-best time of 25:50.47 at the championship, while Lackman secured his third career All-Landmark honor.

Both runners have continued to contribute in 2026. Valentino placed seventh at DeSales in 26:39.4, while Lackman finished 25th in 27:51.8. Sophomore Brady Ryder and sophomore Andrew Hilke also played important roles in the team's third-place finish, placing 23rd and 21st, respectively. Their contributions demonstrate the depth Susquehanna will rely on as it competes against the conference's strongest teams.

The River Hawks' championship success will depend on more than Blair's performance at the front of the field. Strong finishes from Valentino, Lackman, Ryder, Hilke and the rest of the lineup will be important as Susquehanna looks to improve on last year's fourth-place team finish.

With a returning individual champion and several experienced contributors, the men's squad will look to remain competitive throughout the race and put together another complete team performance.

Women's Cross Country
The Susquehanna women's cross country team enters the Landmark Conference Championships with a developing lineup, experienced leadership and an encouraging series of performances throughout the fall.

The River Hawks finished fifth at the 2025 Landmark Conference Championships, led by Sophia Bostwick and Griane Reed. Bostwick earned Second Team All-Landmark honors with a 13th-place finish, while Reed secured Honorable Mention recognition by placing 19th. Susquehanna's scoring group also included Jess Askins, Julianna Sobocinski and Ayla Kerwan, who finished 34th, 35th and 37th, respectively.

This season, senior Alison Sponseller has taken on a leading role for the River Hawks. She opened the campaign with a 10th-place finish in the women's 5K at the Lebanon Valley Dutchmen Invitational, crossing the line in 19:49.0 to lead Susquehanna to a fourth-place team finish. Sponseller followed that performance with a sixth-place finish at the DeSales Invitational, completing the 6K course in 23:41.8 as the River Hawks placed third overall.

Sponseller continued to lead the team at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational on October 17. Competing in a field of 46 teams, she finished 69th overall in 23:03.7, recording another strong performance against a competitive regional field. Susquehanna finished 23rd as a team with 680 points.

The River Hawks have also received important contributions from a number of other runners. Sophomore Jessica Askins placed 198th at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational in 24:41.1, followed closely by senior EmmaLia Ciccarello in 24:48.6. Sophomore Aubrie Berwager finished in 25:15.0, while junior Sydney Querry rounded out the scoring five in 25:51.5. Julianna Sobocinski and first-year Caroline Bates also finished within the team's top seven.

That group will be important as Susquehanna looks to improve its team standing from a year ago. The ability to keep its scoring runners close together and maintain a consistent pace throughout the 6K race will be central to the River Hawks' championship effort.

Experience will also be a valuable asset. Seniors Sponseller, Ciccarello and Katie Wojton provide upperclassman leadership, while juniors Querry, Riley Schlosser and Sobocinski bring additional collegiate experience. A talented group of younger runners gives the River Hawks further depth as they prepare for the conference's biggest race of the season.

With Sponseller leading the way and a supporting cast that has continued to develop, Susquehanna will aim to turn its regular-season progress into a strong championship showing.

A Competitive Landmark Conference Field
Saturday's championships will bring together the Landmark Conference's top cross country programs, with team and individual honors on the line for both the men's and women's fields.
The conference has a strong championship tradition, and Moravian enters the 2026 postseason as the defending team champion on both the men's and women's sides. Susquehanna, meanwhile, has a proud history of success in the conference, with five men's team championships and three women's team championships in the program's history.

For the men's team, the challenge will be to pair Blair's front-running ability with another strong collective effort from the scoring lineup. For the women, Sponseller and her teammates will look to establish a competitive pace and close the gaps between their scoring runners as the race unfolds.

Every finishing position matters in a championship race, making consistency across the lineup essential. Both River Hawks squads will need to remain composed, execute their race plans and finish strongly against a competitive conference field.

Looking Ahead
The Landmark Conference Championships represent the culmination of months of training, preparation and competition for the Susquehanna cross country programs.

Blair will look to defend his individual crown after a record-setting championship performance in 2025, while Valentino, Lackman and the men's supporting cast aim to help the River Hawks climb the team standings. On the women's side, Sponseller will lead a group seeking to build on its regular-season progress and improve upon last year's fifth-place conference finish.

With a blend of proven championship experience and emerging talent, Susquehanna will look to finish the conference season with strong performances and make its mark on the Landmark Conference Championships.