TRAFFORD, Pa. (Aug. 27) -- Thiel College Cross Country runners Brooke Griffith (Chicora, Pa./Karns City), Cooper Riley (Jamestown, Pa./Jamestown) and Nathaniel Turner (Conneaut Lake, Pa./Conneaut Area) were named Runners to Watch for the 2025 season by the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Wednesday morning.

Griffith, a senior, placed 34th at the Allegheny Classic last season with a time of 24:41.3. In the PAC Championships, she placed 90th with a time of 29:33.6.

On the men's side, Riley, a sophomore, had his best finish of the season in the Allegheny Classic, placing 17th with a time of 23:53.7. He finished 42nd in the conference championships and placed 152nd at the Mid-Atlantic Regionals with a PR of 28:25.7 on an 8k course.

Like Griffith and Riley, Turner had his best result last season at the Allegheny Classic as he finished 18th with a time of 23:54.3. Turner was 49th in the PAC Championships and PR'd, like Riley, in the Mid-Atlantic Regionals with a time of 28:19.2 to place 149th.

The league also released its annual Preseason Coaches Poll's. The women were picked to finish 11th while the men were picked 12th. The complete polls along with first-place votes can be found below.

Men's and Women's Cross Country open the 2025 season at Westminster's Fisher Invite this Friday. The women get started at 6:45 p.m. and the men begin at 7:15 p.m.
 

2025 PAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish)
School (first-place votes)	Points	2024 Conference finishes
1. Allegheny College (4)	105	1st (of 11) at PAC Championships, 45 pts.
2. Grove City College (3)	101	2nd (of 11) at PAC Championships, 64 pts.
3. Geneva College (4)	97	6th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 129 pts.
4. Saint Vincent College (1)	96	3rd (of 11) at PAC Championships, 75 pts.
5. Washington & Jefferson College	93	5th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 124 pts.
6. Franciscan University	77	4th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 84 pts.
7. Waynesburg University	56	7th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 210 pts.
8. Hiram College	47	8th (of 8) at NCAC Championships
9. Westminster College	45	10th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 283 pts.
10. Chatham University	36	8th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 249 pts.
11. Thiel College	20	9th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 274 pts.
12. Bethany College	19	11th (of 11) at PAC Championships, 325 pts.

 

2025 PAC Men's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll (Predicted order of finish)
School (first-place votes)	Points	2024 Conference finishes
1. Geneva College (5)	112	2nd (of 10) at PAC Championships, 68 pts.
2. Grove City College (1)	98	5th (of 10) at PAC Championships, 77 pts.
3. Franciscan University (3)	96	1st (of 10) at PAC Championships, 67 pts.
4. Allegheny College (2)	94	6th (of 10) at PAC Championships, 148 pts.
5. Washington & Jefferson College	87	4th (of 10) at PAC Championships, 75 pts.
6. Saint Vincent College (1)	85	3rd (of 10) at PAC Championships, 70 pts.
7. Waynesburg University	56	8th (of 10) at PAC Championships, 256 pts.
8. Hiram College	49	9th (of 9) at NCAC Championships
9. Westminster College	47	7th (of 10) at PAC Championships, 235 pts.
10. Chatham University	29	9th (of 10) at PAC Championships, 258 pts.
11. Bethany College	20	10th (of 10) at PAC Championships, 305 pts.
12. Thiel College	19	Individuals only at PAC Championships