Haverford College men’s cross country began under legendary coach A.W. "Pop" Haddleton in the 1920s, and in his day and for many years thereafter, the team primarily ran, in practice and in competition, on the Woolman Nature Trail, a course that still borders the edge of the 216-acre Haverford campus.
The Haverford men won the 2010 national championship, claiming the first team championship in Haverford history with all five scorers achieving All-American status. In 2011, the Fords nearly did it again – securing a national second-place trophy and naming three runners to the All-American list. The 2012 squad, buoyed by two All-American performances, finished in a tie for second at the national championship meet. The 2018 team was the most recent Ford team to reach the podium as it did so with a fourth-place finish behind three All-American performances.
Haverford earned its first NCAA trophy with a fourth-place finish in 2004. After a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships in 2005, Haverford took second in 2007. The Fords have also won 33 conference cross-country championships, including a stretch of 19 straight from 1989 through 2007.
Since 1978, head coach Tom Donnelly's harriers have qualified teams or individuals for Division III nationals all but three years. Donnelly has the led the Fords to the Mideast Region crown 22 times since 1987. Haverford has qualified for the second-most NCAA Division III Championship meets, trailing only the legendary North Central (Ill.) College program.
With 19 top-10 national placings, including 11 in the last 16 years, Haverford boasts 26 different cross country All-Americans who have combined for 38 All-America accolades. This list includes multiple selections Mike Sheely ’82, Seamus McElligott ’91, Karl Paranya ’97, J.B. Haglund ’02, Donald Letts ’07, Ian Ramsey-North ’07, Jordan Schilit ’13, Christopher Stadler ’14, and Henry Woods ’18.
McElligott won an individual national championship in 1990, J.B. Haglund won the NCAA Division III individual title in 2001 and Anders Hulleberg won the individual championship in 2010. McElligott took second place in the 1989 championship meet. Paranya, the first Division III runner ever to run a sub-4 mile (3:57.6), finished fifth and second at the 1995 and ’96 NCAA cross country championships, respectively.