HAVERFORD, Pa. - Competing on its home course for the first time at the Centennial Conference Championships since 2022, the 22nd-ranked Haverford College men's cross country team turned in a strong runner-up performance Saturday afternoon at the Fran Rizzo Cross Country Course. The Fords placed five runners among the top 13 finishers, highlighted by first-team All-Centennial Conference performances from sophomore Simon Lane and senior Owen Bluman.

Haverford totaled 44 points to finish second behind Johns Hopkins, which captured the conference crown with 17 points. The Fords demonstrated their standout depth throughout the 8,000-meter race, placing all five scoring runners within the top 13 and six competitors among the top 16 overall.

Lane led the Scarlet and Black with a fourth-place finish, crossing the line in 24 minutes, 41 seconds to earn first-team All-Centennial honors. The sophomore was the first non-Johns Hopkins runner across the finish line, breaking up a Blue Jays contingent that claimed the top three individual positions. Lane's performance marked another impressive outing for the Fords' sophomore standout as the postseason got underway.

Bluman joined Lane on the All-Centennial first team, placing seventh overall in 24:58.7. The senior delivered a strong performance on his home course, giving Haverford two runners among the conference's top seven finishers.
 
The Fords continued to pack the front of the field, with senior Luke de Valpine finishing ninth in 25:03.6 to earn second-team All-Centennial recognition. Sophomore Cole Branstrom followed closely behind, taking 11th in 25:08.4, while first-year Ezra Kleinbaum rounded out Haverford's scoring five with a 13th-place finish in 25:14.7. All three earned second-team All-Centennial honors, with Kleinbaum making an immediate impact in his first conference championship appearance.

Just 16 seconds separated Haverford's second through fifth finishers, underscoring the team's tightly packed effort against a competitive Centennial Conference field. The Fords' five scoring runners all finished within 33.7 seconds of one another after Lane crossed the line.

Sophomore Daniel Gordon narrowly missed All-Centennial honors, placing 16th overall in 25:20.8. Senior Torin Pelton-Flavin (25:55.3) and sophomore Wade Garoutte (25:59.2) finished 26th and 28th, respectively, giving the Fords eight runners among the top 30. First-year Nico Oshunrinade followed in 26:25.5 for 36th while sophomore Oliver Barr placed 42nd in 26:34.6.

Junior Raine Guidarelli crossed the line 48th in 26:44.9, followed by first-year Kieran Berna (54th, 26:57.4) and senior Gopal Patel (57th, 27:02.8). First-year Malcolm Barry-Kao (64th, 27:26.5) and sophomore Gabriel Bernstein (68th, 27:33.0) rounded out Haverford's contingent.

 Johns Hopkins claimed the top three individual spots, led by champion Caleb Tenney (24:20.0), Brady Ott (24:25.7) and Edward Stout (24:32.8). Haverford countered with its All-Centennial performers, including three top-10 finishers, in a tightly contested battle near the front of the field as Cohen Manges of Swarthmore was the only runner from outside the two nationally ranked squads to finish in the top 10. 
 
The Fords will return to postseason action Saturday, Nov. 14, at the NCAA Division III Metro Regional Championships, hosted by DeSales University at the DeSales University Cross Country Course in Center Valley, Pa.  Haverford will look to secure an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III National Championships, scheduled for Nov. 21 at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn.