Few expected Rowan University to be among the top 3 in the distance medley relay, but thanks to Seth Clevenger, they have. The transfer athlete from Iowa State marked his arrival in the NCAA Division III by breaking a slew of records. He smashed the DIII record for 5,000 meters by more than 12 seconds. Not only that, he ranks 1st for the indoor season in both the mile and the 3000m as well. However, amid his record-breaking achievements, serious allegations have surfaced against the track and field star.

As per LetsRun.com, Seth Clevenger’s former teammates from Iowa State allege that he used banned substances in the fall of 2025. 

The publication reportedly was told by two of his former Iowa State teammates that Clevenger admitted to using “a peptide”, which is a banned substance as per NCAA rules. One of teammates revealed that the peptide in question was BPC-157, which promotes healing in muscles.

Another source showed the publication the alleged screenshots of the runner’s text message where he reportedly admitted the same.

In fact, one of Seth Clevenger’s ex-teammates claims things got serious last fall when he allegedly spotted “multiple packages labeled EPO” in Clevenger’s fridge.

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The same source told LetsRun.com that Clevenger admitted he was taking the EPO himself. And as per the publication, the ex-teammates also said Clevenger later came clean to the coaching staff about using the peptide.

What were the reported repercussions of the same?

Those alleged admissions reportedly led to a suspension in October, right after what turned out to be the highlight race of Clevenger’s career.

Just 22 years old, Clevenger had spent 2022 through 2025 running cross country and track for Iowa State. His final outing came on October 17 at the Nuttycombe Invitational in Wisconsin, one of the biggest regular-season meets in college cross country, where he crossed the line 19th overall.

Eight days later, the Cyclones’ head coach, Jeremy Sudbury, shared that “multiple ISU athletes had been suspended for breaking team rules.” But Sudbury didn’t go into details. What was clear, however, was the timing.

The connection between Clevenger’s standout finish and his sudden absence has fueled plenty of talk around the ISU track and cross country community. For many, the mix of peak performance, a banned substance, and a quiet suspension is proving hard to ignore.

“A few of our men’s cross country runners have been suspended for violating team rules,” reads the release. “The Iowa State men’s cross country team is looking forward to competing at the Big 12 Championships this week. We will have no further comment at this time.”

LetsRun.com has now reported that Seth Clevenger was amongst the list. That is despite Iowa’s cross-country coach, Jeremy Sudbury, not specifying which athletes were suspended. On the other hand, one fellow track star has made a statement regarding Clevenger’s situation.

Emmanuel Leblond calls for provisional suspension of Seth Clevenger

Now, Emmanuel Leblond has started a petition to suspend Seth Clevenger from NCAA DIII participation. The 2025 NCAA DIII cross country champion from Johns Hopkins, Leblond is spearheading the petition and has asked for a complete investigation into the Rowan star.

“I am writing on behalf of hundreds of Division III student-athletes to express our grave concern regarding the documented doping allegations against Seth Clevenger,” reads the petition. “As we approach the NJAC and NCAA Championships, allowing Mr. Clevenger to compete without a public resolution of these claims causes irreparable damage to the reputations of Rowan University and the NJAC, as well as the integrity of Division III athletics.”

The petition has now been signed by over 580 athletes, at the time of writing. The petition pointed to three instances, including a video which featured a receipt for an order of a banned substance from Clevenger’s email. However, in a statement, Clevenger has denied all the allegations via his lawyer

The statement, posted on Clevenger’s Instagram story, revealed that an inquiry did take place at Iowa State. But the long-distance runner was “cleared of any wrongdoing” as per the statement.

The report from LetsRun.com further explained that the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) is aware of the allegations. However, as the NCAA is not a signatory to the World Anti-Doping Code, it doesn’t have jurisdiction over the case. The case is ongoing, and only time will tell what will come of this for Seth Clevenger.