NEW YORK - The Columbia cross country program held its annual awards banquet earlier this week to celebrate the 2024 season.
During an extremely eventful and fun night, the Lions gave out a Most Improved Award, Coaches Award, and MVP Award to one athlete from both the men's and women's teams. In addition, the student-athletes votes for who would be named a team captain for the 2025 season.
The Most Improved Award is awarded to an athlete who competed in at least one cross country race during the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and shows the greatest improvement between the two years. -
Rory Clare won the award for the women. In the Stony Brook Season opener in 2023, she ran a 14:47 in the 2.55 mile race. In 2024, she was regularly one of the team's top-three placers, finishing 28th at the Ivy League championships and 42nd in the NCAA East Regional championships, running 20:56 in the 6k.
Matt Gatune won the award for the men. Gatune came into the 2024 season after winning the 2023 Mets XC Championships with a time of 24:44. A mid-distance runner for the lions, he stepped up and was a key runner for Columbia during the championship season. Gatune found himself as the second Columbia finisher in both the Ivy League Heptagonal championships and the NCAA North-East Regional Championships, finishing 21st and 52nd in both those races.
Charlie Siebert and
Brigid McCabe received the Coaches Awards.
Phoebe Anderson was given the Kathy Shiels Memorial Award for being the women's MVP.
Talha was named the men's MVP and received the Michael C Grant '99 Men's XC Award.
Rory Clare ('25) and
Elia Ton-That ('25) were chosen as the women's captains for the 2025 season.
George Blaha ('25) and
Jacob Van Orden ('25) were named the men's captains for the 2025 season.
Although the cross country season is over, the indoor track & field season has just begun. The Lions have completed the Rutgers Holiday Invitational, and will be off the rest of December for the holidays, before returning to action in the new year on January 17 in the NYC Gotham Cup.
Stay up to date on all things Columbia cross country by following the Lions on Twitter (@CULionsXCTF), Instagram (@culionsxctf) and on Facebook (@ColumbiaAthletics).
