NEWVILLE, Pa. - The Haverford College men's cross country team marked its 30th consecutive appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships on Saturday afternoon at Big Spring High School, securing the 27th position overall with a total of 599 points.
As one of the nation's most storied programs, Haverford holds the second position in Division III history with 40 total appearances at the NCAA Championships.
The national meet brought an end to the cross country tenure of legendary head coach, Tom Donnelly. Donnelly now boasts an impressive record of coaching 177 cross country and track & field All-Americans, along with 29 NCAA individual champions during his 49 seasons at the helm. The men's cross country team clinched the team title in 2010, Haverford's first national championship. Donnelly is set to retire officially at the end of Haverford College's fall semester.
Junior Peter LaRochelle concluded his outstanding season with a 35th-place overall finish, earning those final All-America honors in 25:04.8. LaRochelle demonstrated steady progress, moving from 58th at the two-mile split to 45th at the 5K split before making a spirited ascent to the 35th spot at the finish line.
LaRochelle, named the Metro Region Runner of the Year after securing last week's individual crown in the Metro Region Championships, adds to Haverford's rich history as the 40th cross country All-American in program history. This was LaRochelle's second appearance at the national meet, improving significantly from his 137th finish last season in Lansing, Michigan.
Following LaRochelle was Nathaniel Leighninger, who secured the 121st position overall in 25:51. Leighninger showcased steady improvement throughout the race, climbing an impressive 30 spots from the 5K split to the finish. Senior Matthew Denton crossed third for the Fords in 169th place (26:09.6), advancing 10 spots from the 5K split.
Senior Luca Ponticello (26:31.0) claimed the fourth spot for Haverford, finishing in 227th place overall and moving up 20 places from the 5K split. Seamus Fraser (26:32.8) closely followed in 232nd place, leaping from 259th at the 5K split. Micah Lachman (26:36.6) secured the 241st spot, while Reza Eshghi (27:16.4) finished 280th, completing the Haverford contingent on Saturday.
Pomona-Pitzer claimed the team title with 158 points, narrowly surpassing the squads from Wisconsin-Whitewater (159) and North Central (169) in one of the closest finishes in Division III history.
The Men's Cross Country team concludes a successful 2023 season with a third consecutive Metro Region Championship and a 30th consecutive trip to the NCAA Championship meet.
Looking ahead, Haverford now anticipates the indoor track & field campaign, set to kick off on Friday, December 8, at the Ursinus Bow Tie Invitational in Collegeville, with action starting at 3 p.m.