WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Sept. 3) – The Waynesburg University men's and women's cross country teams have their shoes laced up and are ready to hit the course in 2026. The Yellow Jackets will be under the leadership of seven-time Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Coach of the Year, Chris Hardie.

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

The Yellow Jacket men are coming off a ninth-place finish at the 2025 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championships. Current junior Ethan Wilson (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Redeemer Lutheran) led the Jackets at the event and is expected to pace Waynesburg this fall. Sophomore Jack Hood (Washington, Pa. / Trinity), who finished just behind Wilson at last year's conference championships, is also back.
 
Waynesburg's veteran core is completed by seniors Kyle Casella (Clarksboro, N.J. / Kingway) and Nicky Todd (Homer City, Pa. / Homer City), as well as sophomore Logan Eberhart (Massilon, Ohio / Tuslaw) and junior Sterlin Mullins (Circleville, Ohio / Circleville).
 
The addition of five freshmen to this year's roster, along with losing just one member of last year's roster to graduation, gives the Jackets bigger numbers and better training competition in 2026.

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

The graduation of last year's top runner, Grace Tanksley, will not be easy to overcome for the 2026 Waynesburg women. Luckily, sophomore Erin Belveal (Bay Village, Ohio / Bay Village) looks primed and ready to be the next standout in the program's long history of success. Belveal not only matched Tanksley's status as a 2025 second-team All-PAC selection, but she was also twice named PAC Newcomer of the Week.
 
Juniors Alexis Hepburn (Etters, Pa. / Red Land), Amber Sallee (Bentleyville, Pa. / Bentworth) and Taylor Severt (Howard, Ohio / East Knox) give Waynesburg four returners from its scoring five at the 2025 PAC Championships. Four other sophomores – Emily Bussard (Punxutawney, Pa. / Punxsutawney, Bethany Byrne (Uniontown, Pa. / Laurel Highlands), Lauryn Jones (Somerset, Pa. / Rockwood Area) and Ella Whysong (Bedford, Pa. / Chestnut Ridge) – add even more experienced youth to the roster.
 
Though a young team overall, the Orange and Black harriers bring back a pair of seniors to lead the squad. Erin DeLong (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) and Chloe Fields (Linesville, Pa. / Conneaut) will look to guide the way up the PAC ladder after the Jackets placed seventh at last year's championship meet.
 
This year's roster is completed by a quartet of freshmen that will look to prove its ready to make an impact at the collegiate level.
 
Both the Waynesburg men and women open their respective seasons on Friday, Sept. 4, at Westminster's Fisher Invitational. Start time is scheduled for 6:45 p.m.

BONUS: Click on this link to hear Coach Hardie, Kyle Casella and Erin Belveal's preseason interview.