PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - - For the seventh time in program history, the Wilmington University men's cross country team can call itself the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Champion, placing all five scoring runners in the Top 15 on Sunday on Belmont Plateau.

The men scored 46 points to finish ahead of Georgian Court by six points. The women had two inside the Top 15 to finish with 126 points, finishing in sixth place overall. The Top 15 finishers in each race are named All-CACC.

The Wildcats had the CACC Rookie of the Year in each race as well, Cassidy Burr and Joel Oquendo were the top first year finishers in each race. Cassidy Burr becomes the third Lady Wildcat to win the award, joining Danielle Burcham (2006) and Yailynn Ramirez (2021). Joel Oquendo is the seventh men's runner to win Rookie of the Year, but the first since Garrett Checchi in 2018.

The women were on the course first, finishing behind Goldey-Beacom but ahead of Georgian Court in the standings in sixth place. They were led by Tiffany Banning who finished sixth overall to earn All-CACC status. She finished in 21:02.04, over a minute and 25 seconds faster than her time in the CACC Championship from a season ago.

Cassidy Burr was the second Wildcat to finish, earning All-CACC status with a 15^th place finish with w time of 21:44.67 in her first 5K of the year. her classmate Kylie Schultz was the next Wildcat to cross, running in her first CACC Championship to a tune of 23:06.40 to finish in 27^th overall.

Sammy Banning finished in 36^th overall with a time of 23:37.08 while Abby Chomo rounded out the Wildcat scoring in 42^nd overall, crossing the line in 24:17.00. Claudia Rodriguez came in 48^th overall with a time of 26:38.53 while Taylor Burchfield closed out the Wildcats on the course in 52^nd overall with a time of 28:55.02.

The men were up next, competing on the 8K course. Vaughn Lackman led the charge for the Wildcats, finishing with the No. 9 best time in program history at a CACC Championship for the Wildcats (eighth best at Belmont Plateau) with a time of 27:12.60. He came in second place overall, behind only Caldwell's Tilak Datta who won for the second straight year. Lackman's second place finish is the best finish for the program since Mark Corrigan won the meet in 2018.

Trent Taylor was the next Wildcat to cross the line, finishing sixth overall with a time of 27:37.31. Joel Oquendo finished 10^th overall to earn CACC Rookie of the Year accolades, finishing in 28:26.19. Carter Sparwasser was the fourth Wildcat to cross, earning All-CACC honors with a time of 28:40.02. Dan Wyshinski finished 15^th overall to round out the Wildcat scoring, earning All-CACC honors with a time of 28:41.23.

It is the third year in a row that Dan Wyshinski has earned All-CACC honors while Trent Taylor and Vaughn Lackman earn All-CACC honors for the second year in a row.

Braeden Peterson competed in his first CACC Championship, crossing the line in 20:33.46 to come in 27^th place. Zach Souders completed the Wildcats on the course on Sunday by competing in his first postseason race as well, finishing 32^nd overall with a time of 31:10.12.

The Wildcats' now have seven CACC Tournament Championships, joining the teams from 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, and 2019.

The Wildcats will now prepare for the NCAA East Regional Championship which will be run on Saturday, November 4, in Hopkinton, New Hampshire.