Lancaster, Pa. – (9/8/2026) – Gwynedd Mercy University freshmen Jake Killen (Lansdale, Pa.) and Hailee Dicks (Collingswood, N.J.) were recognized for their debuts in Lebanon Valley College's Dutchmen Invitational with respective mentions of the Atlantic East Conference (AEC) Men's and Women's Cross Country Weekly Honor Rolls.
 
The AEC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week title went to Marymount University freshman Philologus Smith (Waldorf, Md.). Killen was joined on the Honor Roll by Immaculata University freshman Declan McGorry (Plymouth Meeting, Pa.). Meanwhile, the AEC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week award went to Immaculata University senior Aubrey Donahue (Sewell, N.J.). Dicks was accompanied on the Honor Roll by Marymount University senior Brier Amerlinck (East Amherst, N.Y.).
 
The Gwynedd Mercy University cross country season officially opened on Saturday, September 5, with the starting gun of Lebanon Valley College's Dutchmen Invitational as a pride of four Griffins finishers combined for no team score in the men's eight kilometer (8K). Killen was the first of them across the finish line as he placed 72nd with a run of 30:44.0. Similarly, Dicks was the first Griffin across the finish line in the women's 5K, doing so in just under 22 minutes (48^th, 21:55.2). The Red and Gold placed eighth in the 10-team field with 240 points.
 
The Gwynedd Mercy University cross country teams competes next on Saturday, September 19, when they travel to Center Valley, Pennsylvania, for the DeSales University Invitational (M – 10:30 a.m./W - 11:20 a.m.).