NEW ORLEANS— The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) unveiled its Jack Hazen Program of the Year standings on Tuesday, and according to the organization's release, the Montreat College men's cross country/track & field program landed at No. 21. This marks the fifth consecutive appearance for the Cavaliers in the yearly standings.
Given out annually, the Jack Hazen Program of the Year award honors the NAIA's most successful men's cross country/track & field program. An institution must qualify for and score at the cross country, indoor track & field and outdoor track & field national championships to be eligible for the award.
Scoring is based on a program's finish at each of the national meets, with first place earning one point, second place garnering two points, etc. Ties among programs result in split points for the positions taken. At the end of the year, the institution with the lowest combined score for all three national championships is named the Jack Hazen Program of the Year.
The Cavaliers began their impressive run with the 2024 NAIA Cross Country Championships in Columbia, Mo. As a squad, Montreat concluded 21
st. Individually,
Ethan Stamey delivered the third NAIA All-American performance of his cross country career. The Franklin, N.C. native placed 16
th, marking the best-ever individual finish by a Montreat men's cross country runner at the national meet.
Stamey picked up where he left off at the 2025 U.S. Marines NAIA Indoor Track & Field Championships. The senior picked up another All-American nod with his effort in the men's 5000m finals. Thanks to Stamey's third-place finish, the Cavs ended the meet in a tie for 43
rd.
Montreat rounded out its 2024-25 campaign with a tie for 62
nd at the 2025 U.S. Marines NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Marion, Ind. Like Stamey did during indoor nationals,
Ryan Stade notched All-American honors in the outdoor 5000m finals, finishing seventh individually.
Overall, Montreat's men's cross country/track & field program registered 129.5 points, 10 fewer than No. 22 Shawnee State (Ohio) and nine more than 20
th-rated Rocky Mountain (Mont.).
To view the full Jack Hazen Program of the Year standings, click
here.
