Hayden Allington Heads to NJCAA Cross Country National Championship
Corning, N.Y. -- After a stellar regular season, Hayden Allington (Beaver Dams, NY/Corning-Painted Post) of the SUNY Corning Community College men’s cross country team will travel to Huntsville, Alabama, to compete in the 2023 NJCAA Division III National Championship on Saturday, November 11. It marks the second consecutive season that Allington has qualified for the national race, after placing 25th and claiming All-American honors in 2022.
“This is a massive accomplishment for Hayden to go to his second straight national
championship meet,” said head men’s cross country coach Casey Swartz. “We held a meeting
at the beginning of the year about what goals were going to be set going into the
2023 season and nationals was definitely one of them.”
Allington qualified for the 2023 NJCAA National Championship on October 28, 2023, when he placed fourth at the NJCAA Region III Men’s Cross Country Championship. The regional race, hosted by Finger Lakes Community College, saw the sophomore runner produce an 8K time of 28:52 and earn a spot on the NJCAA All-Region Team.
The week prior, Allington won the 2023 Mid-State Athletic Conference (MASC) Championship,
hosted by the Red Barons at the Y at Watson Woods in Painted Post, New York. With
a first-place finish, he was named the 2023 MSAC Men’s Cross Country Runner of the
Year. That same week, Allington was selected as the NJCAA Division III National Athlete
of the Week and the NJCAA Region III Runner of the Week.
“I am so proud that Hayden was able to dig deep within himself and put the work in to have the results that he has had throughout the season,” added Swartz. “I think a lot of athletes would say they learn a lot from their coaches, but I honestly learned so much from Hayden this year. He's left a great legacy and I am excited to see him add one more accolade to that legacy this weekend.”
The 2023 NJCAA Division III National Championship race will take place at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama. John Hunt Park, also known as Huntsville’s “Central Park” is a grass surface course with multiple spurred loops.
For more information and coverage on the 2023 NJCAA Division III Cross Country National Championship, visit: https://www.njcaa.org/championships/sports/xc/div3/index
