TOWSON, Md. - The Landmark Conference announced its 2023 Men's Cross Country awards Monday afternoon. 

The top seven finishers at the conference championship earn First Team All-Conference honors. The next seven are honored on the Second Team, and the next five are named Honorable Mention. 

Performer of the Year is awarded to the individual champion of the race, while Rookie of the Year is awarded to the top individual finisher, who is participating in their first year of intercollegiate competition. Coaching Staff of the Year is voted on by the league's head coaches after the race. 

Performer of the Year: Nathan Hajel (Moravian University)
Rookie of the Year: Jake Forgione (Elizabethtown College)
Coaching Staff of the Year: Moravian University

Junior Nathan Hajel guided Moravian University to its third straight conference title after winning the 8,000-meter race with a time of 26:08.22 to earn the conference Men's Cross Country Performer of the Year honors and a spot on the league's All-Conference First Team. He is the fifth Greyhound to win the championship race, and second straight Performer of the Year, joining former teammate Shane Houghton (2022).

Jake Forgione of Elizabethtown College is the first Blue Jay since 2016 to be named Rookie of the Year when Sam Gerstenbacher earned the honor. The first-year runner turned in his best 8,000 race with a time of 27:15.60 to place 13th overall, landing him a spot on the Landmark All-Conference Second Team. 

Moravian University Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Jesse Baumann and assistant coaches Jon D'Ottavio and Molly Sear was named the Landmark Conference Men's Cross Country Coaching Staff of the Year for the third consecutive fall. The trio led the Greyhounds to the program's third straight conference title and fifth overall.