CASTINE, Maine -- Maine Maritime Academy men's cross country prepares for the 2018 North Atlantic Conference (NAC) Championship on Sunday, October 28 at the Troy Howard Middle School in Belfast, Maine.

Head Coach Ryan King is leading the Mariners in his eighth season. Last season the Mariners finished fourth at the NAC Championship, led by Aylen Wolf (Surry, Maine) who placed 11th overall. The Mariners return two of their top five runners from last year's NAC Championship, including Wolf. This season the squad has been preparing for Championships with a competitive and challenging schedule, and look to improve on their fourth place finish last season on their home course.

The Mariners have been picked to place first in the NAC Men's Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll. Voting for the Pre-Championship Poll was conducted among the league's head men's cross country coaches.

Who to Watch:

Aylen Wolf	Joseph Van Ess	Liam Veverka	Cole Brundige	Keenan Martin
Sophomore	Freshman	Freshman	Sophomore	Junior
Surry, Maine	Mechanicsville, Va.	Hancock, N.H.	Bainbridge Island, Wash.	Dixfield, Maine
Led Mariners at UMass-Dartmouth Invitational and Mariner Invitational.	Two-Time NAC Rookie of the Week Led Mariners at UMPI Invitational and State of Maine Championship.	Consistent top-five finisher for the team.	Consistent top-five finisher for the team.	Led Mariners at Thomas Invitational and Green Mountain Invitational

2018 Championship Information:

• Date – Sunday, October 28, 2018
• Location - Troy Howard Middle School, Belfast, Maine
• Start – 12:00 p.m.
• Competing Institutions – Maine Maritime Academy, UMaine-Farmington, Thomas, SUNY Canton, NVU-Lyndon, Husson, UMaine-Presque Isle, NVU-Johnson.
• Format – 8K Course features include: starting line on the football field with a long straightaway for a fair and safe start, a long gradual uphill just after the first mile, wide grass paths through a rolling meadow, several short and steep hills in the wooded part of the course, and a slight downhill for a fast finish. This is one of the most fan friendly cross country courses you will ever see. Just by standing at the start/finish area you will see the runners at least five times. 

   MEN'S 8K: The 8K route is largely the same as the 5K except it has one extra loop and cuts off the detention pond on loop 2 and 3.

The Competitors: