Men’s Cross Country Repeats As NCAC Champions With 36 Points

10/31/2026 11:27:00 PM | By: Jamie Dailey '22, SID Assistant

Men's Cross Country Claims Second Consecutive NCAC Title, Headlined By Seven All-Conference Athletes

OBERLIN, OH. – The streak lives on for the men's cross country team.

Winning their sixth straight conference championship and their second consecutive NCAC title, the Blue Streaks impressed this afternoon.

Led by seven All-NCAC individuals, the team scored a total of 36 points to claim the 2026 NCAC Championship.

The group's strength in numbers were showcased as members stepped up in key moments throughout the 8k race.

Full Championship Results

Leading from gun to tape and earning his first ever individual cross country conference championship was Sam Su.

Su clocked in at 24:37.8 and broke away from the pack in the later stages of the race to continue his consistent racing plan as JCU's number one this season. He was also honored as the 2026 NCAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Year.

Placing fifth overall for the Blue & Gold was Joey Naiman, who ran a time of 25:12.1 and maintained his positioning for most of the race.

Both Su and Naiman were honored with First-Team All-NCAC accolades.

Three Blue Streak runners would round out the scoring for JCU. Charles Payne (25:28.3), Matthew Dienes (25:30.9), and Joey Cappuzzello (25:33.8) placed ninth, 10th, and 11th. All three individuals earned Second-Team All-NCAC honors.

Seniors Phil Coury (26:02.6) and Chris Whiting (26:05.7) placed 18th and 19th overall to claim Third-Team All-NCAC honors to earn top 20 in the meet.

It was another exciting and historic race for the men as they continue their reign in the North Coast Athletic Conference in their second year.

The JCU staff of Daniel Tutskey, Steve Fuelling, and Jamie Dailey were awarded the 2026 Men's Coaching Staff of the Year to cap off the day for the program.

The guys executed and took advantage of the opportunity from the gun and established position from the early portions of the race to the middle, which allowed them to rely on each other moving forward.

It only makes it that impressive for JCU as they competed in their third race as a team this season.

"After Michigan State, that was a good opener," says Su, who helped guide the men to a second consecutive NCAC crown. "You expect to race every other week. Got down to Paul Short and didn't get to run, so with five weeks of no racing, I really tried to use that as an advantage. I saw it as a five week training block to run a really fast race at Augustana. It's hard to stay mentally sharp, but I do think it's really helpful down the line to be training that long uninterrupted."

Steve Fuelling, Head Cross Country/Assistant Track & Field Coach at John Carroll was happy with the way the men stepped up today and how they handled the strategy of competing at the conference meet.

"The men had a great day and took care of business," mentioned Fuelling. "It was their best race of the season, which is encouraging. They handled the course adjustment and fast early pace set by Sam well. We had upperclassmen lead the way, but also a good mix of younger guys throughout. It was a total team effort."

A year of hard work and perseverance is guiding the men to reach new heights with several personal improvements, which helps culminate the team's performance.

Daniel Tutskey, Director of Cross Country/Track & Field at John Carroll was happy with the way the men approached the day.

"I'm incredibly proud of how our men competed today," emphasized Tutskey. "Their dedication and commitment to one another showed throughout the year and culminated today."

The men will now gear up for the next couple of weeks, prepping for their next championship opportunity to get to the final stage of the 2026 season.

Next Up
The men's cross country team will travel to East Lansing, Michigan for the 2026 NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championships at the Forest Akers Golf Course on Saturday, November 14th. Meet information to come during that week.

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