In the past five years, the Bobcats have made two appearances at the NCAA national championships, in 1995 and 1997. They are traditionally ranked among the top 10 teams in New England. In 1993, the Bobcats were ECAC team champions. Respected as a program that develops runners, several athletes with no cross country experience before arriving at Bates have made significant contributions to the program at the regional and national level. Most athletes continue to run after graduation.
Community service is also a tradition with the program.
Academic excellence has paralleled the running success of the Bates team. In each of the past six years, the team has earned national All-Academic honors. Cross country athletes Kate Kenoyer '00 and Melissa Leier '98 have recently been awarded Fulbright Scholarships. Adelia Myrick '99 was the most recent of many cross country athletes honored as the female Lindholm Scholar-Athlete. The 1999 season was highlighted by the significant impact of several new members to the team.