Program Outlook

The St. Thomas men’s cross-country program is recognized among the best in the nation.

The Tommies won NCAA Division III titles in 1984 and 1986 and have finished in the top 20 at the national meet 20 times.

Tommie distance runners have won seven individual national titles in either cross country, or in track and field at 1,500, 5,000 or 10,000 meters, or the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Nic Manciu was the 1982 national CC champion and was a two-time NCAA 10,000-meter champ in track. Individually, St. Thomas runners have earned cross-country All-American honors on 28 occasions.

Their 16 conference team titles include a streak of 10 in a row from 1984-93 under the leadership of ex-coach Larry "Doc" Russ and current coach Pete Wareham. They placed first, second or third in the MIAC for 32 consecutive seasons from 1973-2004.

At the conference level, individual Tommies have raced to top-15 finishes and All-MIAC honors 129 times since 1976 -- more than any other conference school.

The 2001 Tommies repeated as MIAC champions and placed fifth at nationals. Led by individual champion Brian Preus, a junior, St. Thomas put three runners in the top five and six in the top 15 to win the 2001 MIAC championship with 26 points -- one of the lowest team scores in MIAC history. Preus and senior Nick Maddox went on to earn All-America honors with top-35 finishes at nationals. Preus placed 10th in the 2002 nationals to repeat as All-American and led St. Thomas to an 18th-place finish. St. Thomas also won the 2003 MIAC championship.

Wareham -- himself a former St. Thomas All-American distance runner -- fields a team of approximately 20 runners. Junior-varsity runners compete alongside varsity runners in most competitions.

While competing nationally as an NCAA Division III school, St. Thomas also is involved in competitions with several top Division I and II institutions, including Marquette University, the University of Notre Dame and Boston College. The MIAC Championships are held nearby at Como Golf Course in St. Paul.