NEWS | Complete USTFCCCA release
 
New Orleans, La.----The Wingate University men's cross country and men's track and field teams made more history this month, as the Bulldogs finished a program-best second in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Program of the Year standings. Wingate's previous-best finishes were back-to-back fourth-place showings in 2024 and 2025.
 
The USTFCCCA Program of the Year award is based on the national finishes of the men's cross country team and the men's indoor and outdoor track and field squads. The national rankings are added up to equal the lowest point total to determine the standings. Wingate finished with 14 points, led by its national championship in men's cross country.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate director of cross country and track and field Matt van Lierop
 
"For our men to finish second and women to finish 10th in the Program of the Year standings is no easy task. It means you need to show up, and step up, all year long. Some teams are good at cross country. Some teams are good at track. We are not one of those teams. We are GREAT at both."
 
"Not only do the student-athletes need to qualify for all three NCAA Championships, just to be considered for this honor, but when they're at the big show, they need to score. If they don't score, we're not in the conversation. If they don't qualify, there is no conversation. Not only do the student-athletes need to do their part, but so do the coaches."
 
"The coaches need to recruit 24/7/365, and once the team is on campus, the team needs to be trained and mentored, to become this all-around XCTF program. These coaches are the best there is at what they do, and what they do isn't easy. I'm extremely proud of this team and its coaches, as a part of a small private school, mixing it up with the large state schools." 

2025 Men's Cross Country quick season recap
 
Wingate placed five runners inside the top 30, claiming its second NCAA Division II title in three years during the 2025 national championship meet. The University of Wisconsin-Parkside hosted the historic event at the Wayne E. Dannehl National XC Course in Kenosha.
 
Antonin Saint-Peyre finished second overall, leading seven Bulldog All-Americans. Only 32 seconds separated Wingate's No. 2 runner from its No. 5 finisher. SAC individual champ and Samuel Gilson took ninth, while Luca Poppe finished 15th. Arthur Faroux and Joaquin Campos rounded out the WU top five in 20th and 29th place, respectively. Southeast Region Runner of the Year Lars Laros earned a 31st-place finish.
 
Wingate had five of the top six finishers as the Bulldogs won their fifth straight NCAA Division II Southeast Region championship at the WU Cross Country Facility. Laros led the way with a personal-best 10K time of 30:48.38. Seven-of-seven Wingate runners posted a personal-best 10K time. Gilson finished second, while Mohamed Dahmouch took fourth place. Niels Peeters and Faroux finished sixth and seventh, respectively. David Holman rounded out Wingate's top seven, taking 11th place.
 
Gilson and Holman finished 1-2 as Wingate won its fifth straight South Atlantic Conference men's cross country championship in Tennessee. Alexis Collomb finished fourth to join his two teammates as first team All-SAC picks. Thomas Bentley made the All-SAC second team, while Alejandro Berrio, Oskar Enseling and Charlie Stephenson earned All-SAC third team honors.
 
2025-26 Men's Indoor Track and Field quick season recap
 
Wingate sent a program-best 14 student-athletes to NCAAs March 13-14. Poppe won national titles in the 5000 and 3000 meters, helping the Bulldog men finish a program-best third place. Wingate earned first team AA honors in seven events at the '26 championships. The USTFCCCA honored 42 WU student-athletes with All-Southeast Region laurels. Both Bulldog teams won SAC indoor titles for the fourth year in a row.
 
2026 Men's Outdoor Track and Field quick season recap
 
Poppe earned his third individual national championship, winning the 5000 meters on the final night of the NCAA Division II outdoor national championship meet. Hollywood movie people couldn't have written a better 2025-26 script for Poppe's senior season, as he started the year by leading the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II cross country national championship.
 
The Bulldogs traveled well, sending a program-best 21 student-athletes to the '26 outdoor championships. Eight Wingate student-athletes earned first team All-American honors in the '26 outdoor championships. The USTFCCCA honored 41 WU student-athletes with All-Southeast Region laurels. Both Bulldog teams won SAC outdoor titles for the fourth consecutive season.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 18 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
OneDog, #OneDog, and One Day One Dog are registered trademarks of Wingate University.