Scott Hubbard competes in a race. Hubbard will be entering his junior season with Rowan men's cross country. - Photo via Rowan Athletics
It’s easy to think of things that go together. Peanut butter and jelly, salt and pepper, and Batman and Robin, to name a few. As for what pairs well with Rowan men’s cross country, it’s the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) championships.
Last year, head coach Dustin Dimit’s squad took home their third straight conference title and 26th overall as a program. They’re looking to keep the bar high heading into the 2025 season, but their mile times are low.
It all starts on Saturday, Aug. 30, when the Profs open their season in Salisbury, Md., for the Salisbury Fall Classic. It’s an event Rowan did not compete in last year. Instead, they beat Stockton on the road to open the season.
The squad will wait until September 20 for their next event, a trip to Galloway for the Osprey Open at Stockton. Two weeks later, the Profs will trek to Bethlehem, Pa., for Lehigh’s Paul Short Run.
Then, their final regular-season event will take place at DREAM Park in Logan Township, N.J. Known as the Border Battle, the eight-kilometer race is part of a major event hosted by Rowan each year. It also gives athletes a two-week break before the NJAC Championships on Nov. 1, hosted at Stockton.
The NCAA Metro Regional follows, returning to Logan Township at DREAM Park. NCAA Championships will be hosted in Spartanburg, South Carolina, at the Roger Milliken Center on Nov. 22.
A big loss for the Profs headed into 2025 is Joshua Cason. Cason earned NJAC runner of the year last season and placed first in the 8000-meter race at the NJAC Championships with a time of 25:11.0. The Profs also had Scott Hubbard place fourth in that race (25:35.0) and Colin Patterson place fifth (25:35.3).
It should be a breakout season for Hubbard and Patterson, who’ll be in their senior and junior seasons, respectively. Hubbard fell ill for a portion of last season, but was back in full capacity by the time the NJAC championships rolled around.
Surely, the NCAA Metro Championships being held on the team’s home course is a gigantic advantage. The Profs finished second behind Moravian in last year’s event, and potentially winning at their home course would be a picture-perfect ending.
The season-long race to South Carolina kicks off shortly, and it’ll certainly be a fun ride through the season if the Profs can keep the bar high and take home some big wins throughout the 2025 season.
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