NCAA Championships - Saturday, November 18 - Newville, Pa. (Big Spring High School)
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NEWVILLE, Pa. - The 32nd-ranked Haverford College men's cross country team will make its 30th consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on Saturday, and for the first time in many seasons, the Fords won't have to get on a plane to do so, as the championships will be hosted by Centennial Conference member Dickinson College at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pa.
Heading into the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Tom Donnelly boasts an unparalleled legacy. With an impressive 16 Regional Coach of the Year awards, 13 of which were earned in the Mideast Region before transitioning to the Metro Region three seasons ago, Donnelly has consistently demonstrated coaching excellence. Donnelly, who announced his retirement in September, remains at the forefront of the sport with a three-year streak of Regional Coach of the Year titles. Over his illustrious career, his cross country squads have secured 26 regional titles and guided his runners to an impressive 176 cross country and track & field All-American awards, including 29 individual NCAA championships and a historic team victory in the 2010 NCAA Division III Championship.
NEED TO KNOW
The national championship races will be hosted by Dickinson but will take place at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pa., as the nation's top distance runners descend on the Harrisburg metro area and the Susquehanna Valley. The men's race will begin at 11 a.m. Haverford was an automatic qualifier by virtue of capturing the NCAA Metro Regional Championship for the third consecutive season.
THE SQUAD
The seven declared entrants for the championship meet will come from a group that includes seniors Matthew Denton, Nathaniel Leighninger, Luca Ponticello, and Sammy Schindel along with juniors Reza Eshghi, Seamus Fraser, Peter LaRochelle, and Reed Solomon along with sophomores Micah Lachman and Jakob Maiwald.
THREE-PEAT
Haverford captured its third consecutive NCAA Metro Region Championship last Saturday, earning a 30th consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Championships. The win was Haverford's 26th overall regional title, and the third in as many seasons in the Metro region, established before the 2021 season. LaRochelle crossed in 24:45.1 to take the individual title. Haverford outlasted 25 different squads on Saturday at the DREAM Park of Gloucester County. The Fords placed six runners in the top 30 to lead a group of 12 Centennial runners who earned all-region accolades. The Fords scored 78 points, outlasting Rowan (84 points) and TCNJ (91 points) in a close finish. Moravian (98 points) and DeSales (101 points) rounded out the top five teams.
REGION AWARD WINNERS
Haverford men's cross country swept the USTFCCCA All-Region Awards release on Tuesday afternoon, as Head Coach Tom Donnelly claimed Metro Region Coach of the Year Honors in his final cross country season while junior Peter LaRochelle was honored as the Metro Region Athlete of the Year, fresh off pacing the Fords to a third consecutive Metro Regional Championship.
BIG YEAR FOR LAROCHELLE
LaRochelle secured the Metro Region Athlete of the Year honor in his junior season after obtaining the individual title at the Metro Region Championships in 24:45.1. The Great Barrington, Mass., product built on his performance from the Centennial Conference Championship, where he finished as the runner-up with a time of 25:32.6. The honor is yet another accolade for LaRochelle in 2023, as the junior runner took home a spot on the First-team All-Centennial list, as well as being named a two-time Centennial Conference Cross Country Athlete of the Week over the fall. The Region Runner of the Year award marks the second year a Haverford runner has donned the crown, as then-senior Ryan Kredell earned the title in 2022.
ALL-REGION HONORS
By placing in the top 35 in the Metro Regional Championship, LaRochelle, Nathaniel Leighninger, Seamus Fraser, Micah Lachman, Matthew Denton, and Luca Ponticello were all named All-Region by the USTFCCCA. Following their impressive finishes, LaRochelle and Leighninger have been tabbed USTFCCCA All-Region for the second time in their careers.
THE ROAD TO NEWVILLE
Thirty-two teams were selected to participate in each championship. The top seven-person team automatically qualified from each of the 10 regions, for a total of 10 teams. Twenty-two additional teams were selected at-large. Seventy individuals, the first seven student-athletes from each region who are not a part of a qualifying team, were selected to participate in each championship.
POLL UPDATE
In the latest USTFCCCA Division III National Coaches Poll, released following the NCAA Regional Championships, the men's squad ranks 32nd in the nation.
FOLLOW THE FORDS
Haverford fans wishing to follow Haverford throughout postseason action should bookmark the Haverford Athletics website and be sure to follow @HCFords_Sports on Twitter and @HCFordsSports on Instagram.