WATERVILLE, Maine – The University of Maine at Farmington men's cross-country team claimed three of the four major North Atlantic Conference (NAC) postseason awards, as announced by the conference office earlier today. Justin Castaldo (Scarborough, Maine) was named Runner of the Year, Jimmy Reel (Nashua, N.H.) was awarded Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Head Coach Robbie Hollis, along with Assistant Coach Sean Cabaniss, received the Coaching Staff of the Year award. Additionally, six athletes were named to the NAC First and Second All-Conference Teams.
To better consider an athlete's full season performance, NAC adjusted its process for selecting the Runner and Rookie of the Year awards this year. Previously, these awards were based solely on placement at the NAC Championship meet. Now, institution coaches vote on these honors based on the athletes' overall body of work throughout the season. All-Conference awards remain based on championship meet performance: those placing 1st–8th earn First Team All-Conference honors, while those finishing 9th–15th receive Second Team All-Conference recognition.
Castaldo retained his title as Runner of the Year for a second consecutive season, capping an outstanding senior year with consistently dominant performances. Named NAC Runner of the Week four times—each time the Beavers competed—he started his season with a first-place finish at the NAC Preview meet hosted by SUNY Delhi, finishing over a minute ahead of the second-place runner.
At the Bates Invitational in Lewiston, Maine, Castaldo achieved a time of 26:04.7, moving him up to second all-time in UMF's 8K history. Competing against top athletes from Washington and Lee, MIT, Bates, Bowdoin, WPI, Colby, and Brandeis, he finished 18th overall. Later, he claimed his second win of the season at the Husson Invitational on October 12th, finishing 39 seconds ahead of the runner-up. At the NAC Championship, Castaldo set a personal best of 26:03.1, outpacing the field by 51 seconds to secure his second individual championship.
Reel, named the NAC Senior Scholar-Athlete of the Year and First Team All-Conference, placed 8th at the NAC Championship. A double major in Actuarial Science and Mathematics with minors in Data Analytics and Business Administration, he has been an outstanding student and contributor to the UMF community. As a member of the Actuarial Science Club and a math tutor since 2022, he now leads as the Math Team Leader in the Student Learning Commons. He is also a recipient of the Clifford Oliver Scholarship and has been on the Dean's List every semester. Following his graduation in May 2025, Reel will join Elevance Health as an Actuarial Analyst.
On the athletic front, Reel has been a key part of UMF's two-time NAC Championship cross-country team and the track and field program. He owns the sixth-fastest 8K time in UMF history, with a 26:37.10 at Franklin Park. Reel and his teammates hold the program's fastest average meet time of 26:58, set at last season's NCAA East Regional Championship.
In another significant change, NAC expanded the Coach of the Year award to honor the entire coaching staff. Last season's Coach of the Year, Hollis stepped in as head coach of both the men's and women's cross-country programs in 2023, succeeding Cabaniss, who transitioned to head the track and field program and was later promoted to Director of Cross Country and Track and Field. Under their leadership, the men's cross-country team had one of its best seasons, winning the NAC Preview Meet, achieving a historic fourth-place finish at the Maine State Championship, and winning the Husson Invitational before capturing their second consecutive NAC Championship.
In the NAC All-Conference honors, Castaldo, James Riley (Shrewsbury, Mass.), Connor Freeman (Bath, Maine), Andrew LaFlamme (Nashua, N.H.), and Reel earned First Team All-Conference, while sophomore Ethan Linscott received Second Team honors. Riley, Freeman, LaFlamme, and Reel finished 5th through 8th, all within five seconds of each other, with Linscott in 10th at 27:30.8. Together, Castaldo, Riley, Freeman, LaFlamme, and Reel combined for an average time of 27:01, clinching the NAC Championship trophy for UMF for a second year in a row.
