Saturday, November 22
Columbia, MO
10:20 AM (ET)
Syracuse University
vs
NCAA Championships
Podium Finish!
11/22/2025 12:07:00 PM | Cross Country
Syracuse men post best finish since 2016 at NCAA Championships.
The Syracuse men's cross country team returned to the podium for the first time since 2016 on Saturday at the NCAA Cross Country Championships, earning a fourth-place finish.
The finish is their fourth-straight top-12 finish at the meet, but first time inside the top-four since a third-place finish in 2016. The Orange have made 17-straight NCAA Championships, the third-longest active streak in the nation, and have finished the year inside the top-15 nationally in 13 of those 17 seasons.
Fourth place is the highest finish under head coach Brien Bell, who has been part of the program for the entirety of the streak, but took the reins of the program in 2018.
'Cuse finished with 212 points, placing all-five scorers inside the top-75. Oklahoma State (57 points) won the team title, followed by New Mexico (82 points) and Iowa State (168 points). The Orange were once again the top scoring team from both the eastern time zone and in the ACC – a constant of the program over the past two decades.
Sam Lawler led the way in 31st, crossing the line in 29:00.6. The finish makes him a three-time All-American after also finishing in the top-40 in both 2023 and 2024. Peter Walsdorf was six spots behind Lawler, also earning All-America honors, in 29:03.9.
Assaf Harari (29:12.2) was 48th, followed by Benne Anderson in 63rd (29:20.3). Matthew Neill (29:27.3) rounded out the scoring with a 73rd place finish. Ben Gabelman (29:34.9) was 100th, followed by Louis Small (30:02.7).
The Syracuse men's cross country team has won at least one championship (ACC, NCAA Northeast Region, NCAA Championship) and/or finished inside the top-10 at the NCAA Championships every year since 2009 (excluding the 2020 COVID season when there was no fall NCAA Championship). This season, Syracuse won the NCAA Northeast Region for the second year in a row, was runner-up at the ACC Championships and placed fourth at the national championship meet.
In the women's race, Selma Anderson competed as an individual, taking 97th overall. She crossed the line of the 6k course in 19:56.3.
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The finish is their fourth-straight top-12 finish at the meet, but first time inside the top-four since a third-place finish in 2016. The Orange have made 17-straight NCAA Championships, the third-longest active streak in the nation, and have finished the year inside the top-15 nationally in 13 of those 17 seasons.
Fourth place is the highest finish under head coach Brien Bell, who has been part of the program for the entirety of the streak, but took the reins of the program in 2018.
'Cuse finished with 212 points, placing all-five scorers inside the top-75. Oklahoma State (57 points) won the team title, followed by New Mexico (82 points) and Iowa State (168 points). The Orange were once again the top scoring team from both the eastern time zone and in the ACC – a constant of the program over the past two decades.
Sam Lawler led the way in 31st, crossing the line in 29:00.6. The finish makes him a three-time All-American after also finishing in the top-40 in both 2023 and 2024. Peter Walsdorf was six spots behind Lawler, also earning All-America honors, in 29:03.9.
Assaf Harari (29:12.2) was 48th, followed by Benne Anderson in 63rd (29:20.3). Matthew Neill (29:27.3) rounded out the scoring with a 73rd place finish. Ben Gabelman (29:34.9) was 100th, followed by Louis Small (30:02.7).
The Syracuse men's cross country team has won at least one championship (ACC, NCAA Northeast Region, NCAA Championship) and/or finished inside the top-10 at the NCAA Championships every year since 2009 (excluding the 2020 COVID season when there was no fall NCAA Championship). This season, Syracuse won the NCAA Northeast Region for the second year in a row, was runner-up at the ACC Championships and placed fourth at the national championship meet.
In the women's race, Selma Anderson competed as an individual, taking 97th overall. She crossed the line of the 6k course in 19:56.3.
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Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
/ Cross Country
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