SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Washington and Lee University men's cross country team capped a landmark 2025 campaign with the best national finish in program history, placing 20th at the NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday morning.
The Generals—who entered nationals as South Region champions—posted 486 points, securing the program's first-ever top-20, completing the strongest postseason run in program history.
Johns Hopkins senior Emmanuel Leblond captured the 8k national title in 23:35.0, while Wis.-La Crosse won the team championship with 82 points, edging national powers SUNY Geneseo (132) and Wartburg (133) in a tightly contested top three.
Leading the pack of Generals was senior Keaton Rush finishing 69th (24:59.9) and sophomore Sam Daunt right behind in 70th (25:01.1). Junior Thomas Franklin placed 138th (25:36.5), and sophomore William Dunaway added a 144th-place showing (25:38.7). Junior Jackson Kodenski completed the scoring in 224th (26:11.5) to secure the top-20 team result.
Juniors Wyatt Benjamin and Robert Cooper rounded out the lineup. Find the meet's full results, HERE.
With the 2025 cross country season complete, the Generals turn their focus to winter training and preparation for the 2026 indoor and outdoor track & field campaigns.
Notes
- W&L's 20th-place finish marks the best NCAA Championship result in program history.
- The Generals punched their ticket to nationals after winning the South Region title for the first time since 1995 and the second time in school history.
- Six All-Region runners propelled W&L into nationals, tying the program record.
- The Generals' scoring spread of 1:11.6 is the tightest compression ever recorded by W&L at an NCAA Championship.
Team Results
- Wis.-La Crosse – 82
- SUNY Geneseo – 132
- Wartburg – 133
- NYU – 175
- RPI – 182
- Johns Hopkins – 216
- Tufts – 255
- Pomona-Pitzer – 258
- MIT – 259
- North Central (Ill.) – 315
- Amherst – 318
- U. of Chicago – 323
- St. Olaf – 351
- Williams – 394
- Carnegie Mellon – 415
- Washington University – 431
- Wesleyan – 460
- Wis.-Stevens Point – 464
- Wis.-Platteville – 470
- Washington and Lee – 486
- Middlebury – 523
- Lebanon Valley – 586
- Hope – 589
- Loras – 600
- Colorado College – 609
- Lynchburg – 613
- Wis.-Eau Claire – 649
- Claremont-Mudd-Scripps – 669
- Rose-Hulman – 743
- Wis.-Whitewater – 779
- Colby – 823
- TCNJ – 830
W&L Scoring Seven
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
