NEW HAVEN, Conn. – The Yale men's cross country team had their annual banquet in Ray Tompkins House on Friday, Dec. 6. This gave the Bulldogs a chance to reflect and recognize their achievements this cross country season. It was a memorable season, as the Bulldogs recorded their joint highest finish in history at the NCAA Regional Cross Country Championships.

The evening began with Courtney Jaworski, the Mark T. Young '68 Director of Cross Country and Track and Field, giving his opening remarks. He congratulated the Bulldogs on a season which included numerous PRs and great performances at both the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships and the NCAA Northeast Regional Meet.

Men's coach Kyle Basista then took to the stand to deliver his speech. He commended the Bulldogs for the passion and drive which has kept the program moving forward this season. Basista also had the honor of awarding the John Cleary '54, Mike Stanley '54 Award, given to the team member who has had an outstanding season and has gone above and beyond in their dedication to the team.

The 2024 MVP for the cross country season was Leo Brewer. In his senior season, Brewer stepped up to the mark and delivered the finest performances of his college career. He has shown consistent progression in his time at Yale, and this is the culmination of many years of work. His smart, level-headed racing meant he consistently found himself moving upwards through the pack and brought many teammates along with him. His racing ability is something that the rest of the team looks up to and is something that they all strive for.

Brewer put the hard yards in over the summer to reap the benefits this fall. His time at altitude showed his dedication to the team and paid dividends this year. Brewer began his cross country season at the Lehigh Paul Short Run, where he was the first Bulldog home in a very quick 24:16. He continued his run of leading the Bulldogs home at Wisconsin Pre-Nationals, where he placed 12th in the B race and once again moved through the field fantastically. At the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships Brewer made significant advancements. His performance of 23:37 over the 8k course was enough for 17th and a big PR. He led the Bulldogs home. At the NCAA Northeast Regionals Brewer placed 24th, which earned him all-region honors. He was the second Bulldog home, with junior Owen Karas having an excellent day to place 22nd. The Bulldogs placed fifth, which matched their best-ever finish at the regional meet.

Also awarded was the Most Outstanding First Year Award. This is given to a first year who has shown excellent ability over the course of the season. This year's recipient was Matthew Schutzbank. In his first year running cross country, he has taken to it admirably. The challenging 8k distance in college was no match for his determination. He began at the Codfish Bowl, where he placed 10th in his opening race. From there his performances continued to improve as he lowered his PR each race. At the IC4A Championships he ran a new PR of 25:57 to be the third Bulldog home. This performance earned him a place on the Heps squad, where he ran another PR of 25:31 to round out a stellar first season.

The final award of the night was the Coaches Award, given to the person who embodies team values and has shown excellent improvement across the season. This year's recipient was sophomore Liam Sullivan. Sullivan is an excellent recipient, never going a day where he isn't supporting his teammates and striving to get better himself. This season he has gone from strength to strength. He opened his season at Yale vs. Harvard, where he ran a 6k PR. At the Codfish Bowl he once again showed his team spirit and delivered a strong performance, placing 30th. His final race of the season was the IC4A Championships, where he ran an 8k PR of 27:03 to close out his season. Off the course, Sullivan has shown his dedication by balancing his running with ROTC duties and his studies. His work ethic is second to none and something that inspires many other Bulldogs.