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Conference Titles, All-Conference Honors & LVC’s Three-Peat
Lebanon County graduates are making their mark at the collegiate level, while Lebanon Valley College continues building one of the region’s strongest cross country programs.
With the high school cross country season concluding and collegiate championship competition heating up, it’s a good time to check in on some familiar names who have taken their running careers to the next level.
From NCAA Division I programs to Division III, the NAIA, and junior college competition, Lebanon County graduates are representing their former schools across the country.
A review of 2026 college rosters identified at least 22 runners from Lebanon County’s six public high schools, including five competing at Lebanon Valley College.
The past two weekends brought conference championships, All-Conference recognition, and several performances that deserve attention.
Lebanon Valley Men Complete Conference Three-Peat
Lebanon Valley College’s men’s cross country program continued its impressive run of success on October 31, capturing its third consecutive Middle Atlantic Conference championship.
The Dutchmen scored just 36 points to finish comfortably ahead of runner-up Messiah, which totaled 72.
Senior Rory Lieberman led the way, winning his third straight MAC individual championship with an 8,000-meter time of 25:01.2. He became the first runner in conference history to capture three consecutive individual titles.
Lieberman was joined near the front by Andrew Namatka, who finished third in 25:32.2, and Wyatt Leitzel, who placed fifth in 25:41.8.
Senior Lukas Walko added a 12th-place finish, while Dylan Lenhart completed the scoring five in 15th.
All five LVC scorers earned All-MAC recognition, with the Dutchmen placing three runners among the top five.
The performance was another significant accomplishment for head coach James O’Brien, whose program has developed into a consistent championship contender.
The Dutchmen also have strong connections to Lebanon County’s high school programs.
Lebanon High graduates Trevor Gipe, Owen Kreider, and Thad Gilbert are members of the 2026 men’s roster, along with Palmyra graduate Josh Miller.
Gipe is a senior, Kreider a sophomore, and Gilbert and Miller are first-year runners.
Miller competed in the MAC Championships, finishing 65th overall in 27:50.3. The freshman was among the Dutchmen runners who gained valuable championship experience behind the team’s established scoring group.
With the conference title secured, Lebanon Valley now turns its attention toward the NCAA Division III regional championships, where the Dutchmen will look to extend their season.
Read Lebanon Valley’s MAC Championship recap
Milosevic Helps LVC Women Earn Third at MAC Championships
Lebanon Valley’s women’s program also enjoyed a strong conference championship meet, placing third overall with 126 points.
The Dutchmen were led by senior Charlee Kurtz, who finished 15th in 23:35.2 over the 6,000-meter course.
Caroline Borleis, Jocelyn Saultz, and Christine Wagner followed, giving Lebanon Valley four runners among the top 31 finishers.
ELCO graduate Nina Milosevic completed the scoring five, placing 41st overall in 24:51.7.
The junior, who also serves as a team captain, has been a consistent member of the Dutchmen program throughout her collegiate career.
Her conference performance helped Lebanon Valley earn another top-three team finish and demonstrated the depth of a program that continues to compete well in the MAC.
Across the men’s and women’s championships, Lebanon Valley collected nine All-Conference selections.
Both teams will now prepare for regional competition as the postseason continues.
Read Lebanon Valley’s women’s championship recap
Hershey Earns First-Team Honors for Nation’s Top-Ranked NAIA Program
Lebanon High graduate Caleb Hershey is enjoying an impressive season at the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky.
The graduate student finished third at the Mid-South Conference Championships on November 6, completing the 8,000-meter course in 25:20.6.
Hershey’s performance helped the top-ranked Patriots accomplish something rarely seen in championship cross country.
Cumberlands swept the first seven individual finishing positions, scoring a perfect 15 points to capture its fourth consecutive conference championship.
Hershey was the team’s third finisher, crossing just 15 seconds behind individual champion Collin De Julio.
His performance earned First Team All-Mid-South Conference honors, adding to an already successful season.
Two weeks earlier, Hershey finished eighth at the NAIA Appalachian Challenge in 24:11.3, helping Cumberlands win another major invitational.
He also recently earned Academic All-Conference recognition.
Hershey previously competed at Colorado Christian University before transferring to Cumberlands, where he has become part of one of the nation’s leading NAIA distance-running programs.
The Patriots now advance to the NAIA National Championships on November 20 in Vancouver, Washington.
Read Cumberlands’ conference championship recap
Wamsher Earns First-Team All-PSAC Honors as a Freshman
Cedar Crest graduate Makenzie Wamsher delivered one of the strongest individual performances by a Lebanon County alum during Saturday’s Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championships.
The Shippensburg University freshman finished seventh overall in the women’s 6,000-meter race, crossing in 22:19.3.
Her top-seven finish earned First Team All-PSAC recognition during her first collegiate cross country season.
Wamsher was Shippensburg’s leading finisher, helping the Raiders place fourth in the 17-team championship field with 95 points.
The result represents an impressive transition to Division II competition for a runner who was previously a key contributor to Cedar Crest’s high school program.
Fellow Cedar Crest graduate and Makenzie’s twin sister Hayden Wamsher was also on Shippensburg’s 2026 women’s cross country roster.
On the men’s side, Lebanon High graduate Ramon Urena helped Shippensburg capture its fourth consecutive PSAC championship.
The junior finished 24th overall in 26:20.4, contributing to a Raiders team that scored 53 points to defeat runner-up West Chester.
Urena has become an experienced championship runner for Shippensburg, having competed at the NCAA Division II National Championships in previous seasons.
Another familiar name remains connected to the program. Cedar Crest graduate Ryan Wolfe, a former All-Region performer, exhausted his collegiate eligibility after the 2025 season and is now serving as a student assistant coach.
With both the men’s and women’s programs enjoying successful championship meets, Shippensburg will look to carry that momentum into the NCAA Atlantic Regional Championships.
View the November 7 PSAC Championship results
Moran Makes Immediate Impact at Indian Hills
Annville-Cleona graduate David Moran has made a strong transition to collegiate cross country at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa.
The freshman finished ninth at the NJCAA Region 11 Championships on October 30, running a personal-best 24:34.6 over 8,000 meters.
Moran was Indian Hills’ third finisher, helping the nationally ranked Warriors place second in the team standings.
The runner-up finish marked a program milestone, with Indian Hills recording its best-ever finish at the regional championship.
Moran’s performance continued a steady progression throughout his freshman season.
Earlier in October, he placed 15th at the Indian Hills Invitational in 28:00.18, also a personal best at the time.
The former Dutchman has now lowered that mark considerably while establishing himself as an important contributor to the Warriors’ postseason lineup.
Indian Hills will compete at the NJCAA Division I National Championships on November 14 in Huntsville, Alabama.
Furmanski and Figueroa Begin College Careers
Two of Cedar Crest’s most accomplished recent distance runners are now competing at prominent college programs.
Travis Furmanski, the 2025 PIAA Class AAA cross country state champion, has begun his collegiate career at the University of Mississippi.
The freshman competed at the prestigious Nuttycombe Invitational in Wisconsin on October 9, finishing the 8,000-meter race in 25:13.8 against a nationally competitive field.
Furmanski was not among Ole Miss’ competitors at the Southeastern Conference Championships on October 30, but his early collegiate experience provides an opportunity to continue developing against some of the nation’s strongest runners.
Meanwhile, fellow Falcon graduate Tony Figueroa is competing at North Central College in Illinois, one of NCAA Division III’s most accomplished distance-running programs.
North Central captured its 52nd consecutive College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship on October 31.
Figueroa followed with a productive performance at the Red & White Invitational on November 5, finishing in 15:16.8 over three miles.
He placed sixth among scoring runners as North Central won the meet with 20 points.
For both former Falcons, the transition to college competition provides an opportunity to build upon their successful high school careers while training in established distance-running programs.
Read North Central’s November 5 recap
Cummings and Funck Continue Competing at Division I Level
Palmyra graduate Cornelius Cummings is continuing his running career at the United States Coast Guard Academy.
The freshman finished 28th at the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Championships on November 1, completing the 8,000-meter course in 26:17.1.
Cummings was Coast Guard’s fourth finisher as the Bears placed fourth in the team standings.
The performance provided another important championship experience for the former Cougar, who qualified for the PIAA Championships during his final high school season.
At Temple University, Annville-Cleona graduate Oliver Funck is competing in his freshman season.
Funck finished 70th at the American Athletic Conference Championships on October 30, completing the 8,000-meter race in 27:31.8.
Temple placed fifth overall in the conference standings.
Both freshmen are gaining experience at the collegiate level while representing programs competing in different conferences and divisions.
More Lebanon County Graduates Around College Cross Country
Several additional local runners have been competing across the college landscape this fall.
Cedar Crest graduate Margaret Cuthie earned Second Team All-United East honors at Penn State Harrisburg after placing 12th at the conference championships in 26:23.6. Her performance helped the Lions finish third overall.
Northern Lebanon graduate Alexis Schreckengost finished 14th at the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Championships while competing for Penn State Behrend. The sophomore completed the 6,000-meter course in 29:28.2.
At Saint Vincent College, fellow Northern Lebanon graduate Kenny Battistelli finished 48th at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships, running 28:58.2 over 8,000 meters.
Lebanon High graduate Sam Martinez competed for Alvernia University at the MAC Championships, finishing 64th in 27:49.3.
Cedar Crest graduate Ben Causak represented Penn College at the United East Championships, finishing 44th in 30:54.8.
Another Northern Lebanon graduate, Charles Bomberger, is a freshman at Penn State Berks. He competed in the United East Championships as the Nittany Lions captured their second consecutive conference title.
That championship was held at Union Canal Tunnel Park in Lebanon, bringing college postseason competition directly to Lebanon County.
Other local graduates on collegiate rosters include Northern Lebanon’s MacKenzie Miller at Penn State Schuylkill and Annville-Cleona’s Megan Brophy at Shenandoah University.
Their opportunities reflect the range of college programs where Lebanon County runners continue developing, from large universities to smaller Division III and Penn State branch-campus programs.
More Championship Racing Ahead
With conference championships largely complete, attention now shifts toward regional and national competition.
Lebanon Valley will look to build upon its MAC championship success at the NCAA Division III regional meet, while Shippensburg prepares for the Division II Atlantic Regional Championships.
Hershey and Cumberlands have already secured a place at the NAIA National Championships, and Moran will have an opportunity to compete at the NJCAA national meet.
For Lebanon County’s former high school runners, the postseason provides another opportunity to measure their progress against some of the strongest collegiate competition in the country.
From conference champions and All-Conference honorees to freshmen beginning their collegiate journeys, local athletes continue carrying Lebanon County’s distance-running tradition beyond the high school level.
LebCoSports will continue following the accomplishments of Lebanon County’s collegiate cross country alumni as regional and national championship competition unfolds.
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