Liam MacKenzie – Treasurer/Sports Editor
North Dartmouth, MA – The record books had to be rewritten once again, and Aidan Dupill was the one making the changes on September 19, 2026. For the second consecutive week, Dupill led the way for Merrimack men’s cross country, finishing fourth in the 8K with a time of 24:39.24 while breaking his own school record and setting a new personal record.
A Record-Breaking Race – Dupill’s fourth-place finish put him inside the top five while giving the Warriors their strongest individual result of the meet. His performance continued an impressive start to the season, as he once again established a new standard for Merrimack’s 8K runners.
The Warriors’ Top Five – Behind Dupill, Ben Rich was the next Warrior to cross the finish line, placing 33rd with a time of 25:36.59. Sean Moore followed in 43rd at 25:49.77, while Reidar Ageson finished 59th in 26:04.24 and Trainor Mailloux rounded out Merrimack’s top five in 76th at 26:22.19.
Seventh in the Gold Event – Merrimack’s five scoring runners helped the Warriors finish seventh in the Gold event at UMass Dartmouth. Although the team came away with several strong individual performances, Merrimack fell short of its expectations as a team.
Cameron Praises Individual Performances – Head coach Chris Cameron highlighted Dupill’s performance as the biggest positive from the meet. Cameron pointed specifically to Dupill’s fourth-place finish and his 24:39 time, which broke his own 8K school record and marked another new personal record.
Closing the Gap – While Dupill provided a record-breaking performance, Cameron also identified an area the Warriors will look to improve moving forward. The coach noted that Merrimack’s 1-5 pack was too large, meaning the team will need to close the gap between its top runners as the season continues.
Time to Get Back to Work – The Warriors now have several weeks of training to address those team goals and continue building chemistry within the pack. With the record-breaking performance from Dupill serving as a highlight, Merrimack will look to use the upcoming training period to make improvements before its next competition.
Looking Ahead to Bethlehem – Merrimack will return to competition in two weeks at the Paul Short Invitational in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Hosted by Lehigh University, the meet will give the Warriors another opportunity to compete against a strong field as they begin the month of October.
