Fords men’s, women’s cross-country teams take first, second at Centennial Conference Championships

By Sarah Wolberg

Managing Editor

Chris Stadler, HC ’14, took the lead early on in the varsity Centennial Conference Championship race, and was named Conference Runner of the Year after placing first and leading the Goats to a team championship. Photo courtesy of Elliott Schwartz.

Haverford’s Goats and Bees had a home-court advantage when they competed in the Centennial Conference Championship race, held on Saturday at Haverford. The men’s cross-country team took first place in the conference for the eighteenth time, thanks to a strong performance by the top Fords, including Chris Stadler, HC ’14, who took home the individual championship title.

The Goats–ranked No. 1 nationally–easily took first place, putting seven runners in the top 20 finishers, including five in the top eight.

Following shortly behind Stadler’s winning time of 24 minutes, 47.1 seconds, on the five-mile course were runners from Dickinson and Johns Hopkins, as well as Joel Christian, HC ’15, Avi Bregman, HC ’14, and Peter Kissin, HC ’13, in fourth, fifth and sixth places, respectively.

Joel Christian, HC ’15, Brian Sokas, HC ’14, Avi Bregman, HC ’14, Chris Stadler, HC ’14, and Ivo Milic-Strkalj, HC ’13, lead the pack on Haverford’s nature trail during the varsity Centennial Championship race. Photo courtesy of Sam Callon.

Dickinson took second place in the Conference and Hopkins took third.

Haverford’s Bees, nationally ranked at No. 14, were dominant as well, taking second place in the women’s division, with six runners placing in the top 30 finishers.

Katie Balmer, HC ’15, was Haverford’s highest-placing runner, finishing twelfth, followed by Fiona Hendry, HC ’16, Chelsea Thorsheim, HC ’14, Emily Scott, HC ’13, and Sara Hess, HC ’13, in the Ford’s five scoring places.

Katie Balmer, HC ’15, and Fiona Hendry, HC ’16, led the Bees to a second-place finish at the Centennial Conference Championship race. Photo courtesy of Elliott Schwartz.

Johns Hopkins’s women, ranked second nationally, took first place, and Dickinson placed third.

Haverford’s junior varsity teams replicated the Championship placing in the JV Open race, with the men’s JV team taking first place, and the Bees’ JV team placing second among the women.

Next up for both the men’s and women’s teams is the NCAA Regional Championship on Nov. 10, hosted by Dickinson.