WATERVILLE, Maine – On Wednesday afternoon, the North Atlantic Conference (NAC) office announced the 2025 men's cross country major awards, and the University of Maine at Farmington was honored with six athletes receiving All-Conference recognition. Additionally, Robbie Hollis and Sean Cabaniss were named the Coaching Staff of the Year.
The six athletes who received NAC All-Conference honors were evenly split between the First and Second Teams, with three athletes represented on each. Juniors Andrew LaFlamme (Nashua, N.H.) and Ethan Linscott (Lakeville, Maine) were joined on the First Team by senior James Riley (Shrewsbury, Mass.). On the Second Team, sophomores Samuel Perkins (Jay, Maine), Alexander Gagnon (Goffstown, N.H.), and first-year Hans Bakke (York, Maine) were all recognized.
LaFlamme had a phenomenal junior season for the Beavers, consistently finishing among the top runners at each race. He earned two victories—opening the season with a win at the Beaver Invitational and later capturing first place at the NAC Preview Meet. LaFlamme also placed 11th at the Maine State Championship and second overall at the NAC Championship, completing the 8K in 28:14.5 to secure First Team All-Conference honors. This marks the second consecutive season that LaFlamme has been named to the NAC First Team.
Linscott, the 2023 NAC Rookie of the Year and a two-time Second Team honoree, earned First Team All-Conference recognition for the first time in his career after placing eighth at the NAC Championship with a time of 29:12.9. Linscott made significant improvement from the NAC Preview Meet, where he finished 11th. He also recorded finishes of sixth, 62nd, and 72nd at the Beaver Invitational, Maine State Championship, and James Earley Invitational, respectively.
Riley capped off his cross country career with his third consecutive First Team All-Conference selection. At this year's NAC Championship, Riley placed fourth overall among 44 runners. He also earned two other top-five finishes—fifth at the Beaver Invitational and fourth at the NAC Preview on October 4. Riley added a 38th-place finish at the highly competitive Maine State Championship and 24th at the James Earley Invitational.
Perkins made major strides this season for the Beavers, improving ten places from last year's NAC Championship to finish 10th overall this season with a time of 29:24.8. He opened the season with a fourth-place finish at the Beaver Invitational and added a sixth-place finish at the NAC Preview. Perkins also turned in solid performances at the Maine State Championship (55th) and James Earley Invitational (40th). In addition, he was named to the NAC Sportsmanship Team.
Gagnon delivered another consistent season for the Beavers. After narrowly missing All-Conference recognition last year by placing 17th at the NAC Championship, Gagnon improved six spots this season to finish 11th overall. He opened the season with a strong third-place finish at the Beaver Invitational and performed well in larger meets, finishing 29th at the Maine State Championship and 19th at the James Earley Invitational.
Bakke proved to be an excellent addition to the roster, providing quality depth in his first collegiate season. Despite missing time during the year, he competed in three events, finishing 13th at the NAC Championship with a time of 30:06.8 (note: please confirm—this was likely a typo in your original). Bakke also finished seventh at the Beaver Invitational and 94th at the James Earley Invitational.
Last season, the NAC transitioned from a "Coach of the Year" award to a "Coaching Staff of the Year" honor. The University of Maine at Farmington cross country coaching staff received the award for the second consecutive season after Head Coach Robbie Hollis was named NAC Coach of the Year in 2023. This season, Hollis and Cabaniss led the Beavers to their third straight NAC Championship and one of the most successful seasons in program history. In addition to being crowned 2025 NAC Champions, the team earned first-place finishes at the Beaver Invitational and NAC Preview Meet, finished second at the James Earley Invitational (out of 18 teams), and placed fifth overall at the Maine State Championship—one of the best results in program history.
