LOGAN TOWNSHIP, N.J. - The 21st-ranked Haverford College men's cross country team earned its way to a 28th consecutive appearance at the national championships with a convincing victory in the inaugural NCAA Metro Region Championship race at the Gloucester County DREAM Park on Saturday. Haverford has now won 25 NCAA regional titles overall, returning to the top of the regional podium for the first time since 2017 in the newly-minted Metro Region.
Haverford (50 points) finished well ahead of second-place TCNJ (99 points) and third place Swarthmore (116 points) in the 8K race. Regional host Rowan finished fourth while Ramapo crossed in fifth despite having the first and third individual finishers on the afternoon. The Fords posted another dominating postseason performance, with all seven entrants finishing within the top 35. By virtue of those standout performances, Haverford will pick up seven All-Region certificates.
Ryan Kredell finished second overall in the meet, crossing in 25:09. It was Kredell's second runner-up showing in as many weeks as he was also the second to cross at the Centennial Conference championships to propel the Fords to the conference crown last Saturday.Just behind Kredell was Max Brelig who finished the course in 25:21.2 for a fourth place overall performance, while Peter Buckley was just outside the top 10 with an 11th-place finish in 26:11.3.
Kredell and Buckley each picked up the second All-Region certificate of their careers after also logging top 35 finishes in the 2019 Mideast Regional. Amos Karlsen was the 15th runner to cross the finish line in 26:16.6, while first year Peter LaRochelle impressed in his NCAA postseason debut, crossing in a personal-best 26:21.5. Nico Tripeny finished in 26:30.8 for 25th place overall while first year Miles Colescott was just behind in 26th place (26:31) to round out the Haverford contingent in his first regionals trip.
Saturday was the first time since 2017 that Haverford has placed all seven entrants in an All-Region position, and the first time the squad has accomplished that feat without the individual region champion on the roster since 2012.
The Fords will now be back in action at the NCAA Division III Championships at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday, November 20. The men's 8K national championship race is slated to begin at noon.