WATERFORD, Conn. - Competing against some of the top cross country competition on the East Coast, the No. 13 Haverford College men's cross country team finished fifth out of 23 teams on the 8K course at the Connecticut College Invitational inside Harkness Memorial State Park. In total, the event featured 10 nationally ranked squads.
No. 3 MIT won the meet, finishing with the low mark of 46 points. No. 9 Williams was second, while No. 30 Middlebury and No. 16 St. Olaf finished in third and fourth, respectively. St. Olaf was eight points ahead of the Fords on the day. Centennial Conference foe Dickinson was the 20th place team on the day.
Senior Ryan Kredell notched a top 10 finish, crossing in 9th with a time of 24:20 to pace the Haverford contingent. Kredell has been the top Haverford finisher in each race this season. Kredell was followed by Peter LaRochelle, who notched a 25:01.8, good for 30th place overall.
Jamie Moreland was the 42nd to cross (25:21), while Max Brelig was 45th (25:23.5). Miles Colescott (25:25.9) and Peter Buckley (25:26.0) crossed in succession in 50th and 51st, respectively, while Aaron Bratt rounded out the top seven in 25:27.4., good for 54th. Nathaniel Leighninger (25:37.7) was 60th overall, while Nico Tripeny was the ninth Haverford runner to cross in 102nd (26:07.1).
Reza Eshghi (26:30.2), Seamus Fraser (26:34.7), Luca Ponticello (26:38.5), Ryan Quenemoen (26:38.8), and Matthew Denton (26:45.2) rounded out the Haverford grouping in the Nutmeg State.
A larger group of Haverford runners hit the 8K course a bit closer to home, competing at the Jack Saint Clair Memorial Invite at Belmont Plateau in Philadelphia. Haverford was the top collegiate team in that event, 20 points clear of host Jefferson.
Micah Lachman was the first Haverford runner to cross, logging a time of 28:42.8 for 10th place overall. Jakob Maiwald notched a 14th place showing (29:08.9), ahead of 15th-place Sammy Schindel (29:17.7). Joseph DeRosa crossed in 17th (29:23.8), while 18th place Michael Franco (29:31.3) rounded out Haverford's top five. The top seven was rounded out by 21st place Seamus Flannery (29:40.4) and 25th place Nick Scardigno (29:45).
Rowan Shigeno (30:33), William Harris (30:58), Sam Diaz (31:20.2), Season Park (31:57.1), Kieran McDonnell (33:31.3) and Deven Abrams (33:33) rounded out the Haverford contingent.
The Fords will now send a contingent to the Haverford Invitational on October 21 at Alumni Cross Country Course while the majority of the squad will be on a bye week heading into the Centennial Conference Championships at Haverford's Alumni Cross Country Course on Saturday, October 29. The men's 8K championship will begin at noon.