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After Mount St. Mary's three-year title run from 1994-96, St. Francis (PA) broke through in 1997 and Central Connecticut won back-to-back crowns in 1998-99. Monmouth captured its first championship in a decade with a close win over St. Francis (PA) in 2000. St. Francis (PA) won its second league title the following year with a dominating victory, then built a league-best four year championship streak that finally came to an end when Quinnipiac and Sacred Heart finished as co-champions in 2005. Quinnipiac repeated in 2006 in the first NEC championship held at Van Cortlandt Park. The Bobcats then won six more crowns from 2007-12 to become the first school in league history to win eight straight titles. Sacred Heart won its first NEC championship in eight years in 2013 and repeated in 2014 and 2015. Saint Francis U captured its first title since 2004, breaking SHU's streak in 2016. The Pioneers were back in the winner's circle in 2017, making it four championships in five years. CCSU claimed its first crown since 1999 with a two-point victory over SFU in 2018, then went back-to-back in 2019. The three-peat for the Blue Devils materialized in the 2020-21 season when the meet took place in February. CCSU did it again in 2021 with Blue Devil harrier Angie Rafter joining Wagner's Tara Maguire as the lone 3x individual winners in league history. The Blue Devils made it five straight and seven overall crowns in 2022. Stonehill ended CCSU's reign and won its first-ever NEC title in any sport with a close win over the Blue Devils in 2023. CCSU reclaimed its title and tied the league record with its eighth crown in 2024, highlighted by the Blue Devils' Brooke Morabito setting a new meet record, crossing the tape in 16:39.5.
Eight different schools have won two-or-more titles in one of the NEC's most competitive sports. Quinnipiac (eight), CCSU (eight), Saint Francis U (five), Mount St. Mary's (four), LIU (three), Sacred Heart (three), Saint Francis U (three) and Monmouth (three) have won at least three championships.
CCSU's Angie Rafter, who won titles in 2018, 2019 and 2021, joined Wagner's Tara Maguire (1987, 1988 and 1990) as the only three-time winners in league history. CCSU's Brittany Mendelson (2015 and 2016), Bryant's Eimear Black, (2012 and 2013), Quinnipiac's Kristen Stevens (2006 and 2007), Quinnipiac's Katie Gwyther (2004 and 2005) and UMBC's Jen Ecker (1999 and 2000) are the other repeat winenrs. Mount runners won four consecutive titles from 1994-97 before CCSU's Stephanie Johnson took first in 1998. St. Francis (PA)'s Kate Wallace (first team) and UMBC's Jen Ecker (third team) were tabbed GTE Academic All-Americans in 1999. Ecker became the first UMBC Division I female student-athlete to earn first team Academic All-American honors in 2000. Gwyther finished 12th at the 2005 NCAA Championships to become the NEC's first All-America performer in the sport. She also took home third team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America honors that same year. In 2011, Quinnipiac's Becca White set a new meet record by running 17:17.1 at CCSU's Stanley Quarter Park.
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