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HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College men's and women's cross country teams open postseason competition on familiar ground Saturday, October 31, welcoming the Centennial Conference to the Fran Rizzo Cross Country Course at Haverford College for the 2026 conference championships.

The women's six-kilometer championship begins at 11 a.m., followed by the men's eight-kilometer race at noon. Admission is free, with an awards ceremony scheduled for approximately 1 p.m. near the registration tent on Featherbed Fields. Haverford hosts the championships for the first time since 2022.

Men's Preview

Haverford enters the postseason ranked No. 22 in the October 21 U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III National Coaches' Poll. The Fords collected 94 points to enter the national rankings following a strong performance at Connecticut College, setting up a conference championship test against No. 2 Johns Hopkins.

Sophomore Simon Lane has helped lead the Fords into the postseason, placing seventh in the Blue Race at the Connecticut College Invitational on October 17. Lane covered the eight-kilometer course in 24:16.5, earning Centennial Conference Athlete of the Week recognition as Haverford finished sixth with 203 points. The Fords placed ahead of five nationally ranked programs and finished just seven points out of fourth place. Senior Owen Bluman followed Lane in 16th at 24:36.6, while senior Luke de Valpine placed 25th in 24:41.5, giving Haverford three finishers among the top 25. First-year Ezra Kleinbaum finished 82nd in 25:24.6, with sophomore Daniel Gordon just behind him in 87th at 25:27.3 to complete the scoring five.

The Fords demonstrated their depth again at last Friday's Haverford Invitational, placing second with 44 points behind Division I Saint Joseph's. Sophomore Wade Garoutte was the top Division III finisher, crossing 12th overall in 20:27.9 over four miles. Classmate Oliver Barr finished just one-tenth of a second later in 13th, while first-year Nico Oshunrinade placed 15th in 20:33.6. Will Tew and Gopal Patel completed the scoring five, with 42.4 seconds separating Haverford's first and fifth finishers.

Haverford will look to challenge four-time defending champion Johns Hopkins after finishing as the conference runner-up in each of the past four seasons. The Fords were selected second in the preseason coaches' poll, receiving 56 points and one first-place vote. Haverford owns a conference-record 24 men's team championships.

Lane returns as a first-team All-Centennial selection, while Bluman and Torin Pelton-Flavin join him as returning All-Region performers. Saturday's individual race will produce a new champion following the graduation of Johns Hopkins standout Emmanuel Leblond.

Women's Preview

An experienced returning group and contributions from the Fords' younger runners give Haverford several reasons for optimism heading into Saturday's women's championship. The Scarlet and Black will look to improve upon last season's sixth-place conference finish, when the Fords totaled 132 points.

Seniors Anastasia Jaycobs and Alice Sappenfield paced Haverford at the Connecticut College Invitational on October 17, helping the Fords finish 20th in the Blue Race. Jaycobs placed 68th in the 259-runner field with a time of 22:15.3 over six kilometers, while Sappenfield followed in 89th at 22:30.9.

Junior Maia Poremba was Haverford's third finisher in 23:10.1, followed by first-year Rylee Diller in 23:16.8 and senior Grace Chen in 23:25.5. The Fords' scoring five finished within 1:10.2 of one another, providing a closely grouped effort heading toward the championship portion of the season.

Last Friday's Haverford Invitational offered another opportunity for the Fords' younger runners to lead the way. First-year Aaralyn Julian was Haverford's top finisher, placing 21st overall in 19:40.2 over five kilometers. Julian was the top Division III runner in the field as the Fords finished fourth with 128 points, ahead of conference opponent Ursinus.

Classmate Charlotte Yanke followed in 26th at 20:04.3, with sophomore Keiko Chinen placing 28th in 20:13.4. Madeline Ruchelman and Judy Xie completed Haverford's scoring five.

Jaycobs, Sappenfield and Chen bring valuable conference championship experience into the weekend. Jaycobs led Haverford with a 25th-place finish at the 2025 meet, while Sappenfield and Chen crossed in 30th and 31st, respectively. Sappenfield is also a two-time All-Metro Region selection and the 2023 Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year.

Johns Hopkins enters ranked fifth nationally in the October 21 USTFCCCA Division III National Coaches' Poll, collecting 264 points. The Blue Jays seek their 18th consecutive conference championship, with defending individual champion Carter Brotherton among the runners to watch. Brotherton recently won the Aubrey Shenk Invitational at Gettysburg in 20:48.2.

Haverford's women's championship history includes team titles in 1993, 1995 and 1996, all under Fran Rizzo. Saturday gives the Fords an opportunity to add to that history on the course bearing her name.

Following the Championships

Live results will be available through Lexicon Timing. Weather permitting, both races will be streamed on the Centennial Conference Digital Network, with the women's broadcast beginning at 10:45 a.m. and the men's broadcast beginning at 11:45 a.m. Coverage will feature portions of each race.

Visitors should park in the South Lot or Visitor Parking Lot and remain on marked pathways while moving between viewing locations. Complete spectator information is available on Haverford's Championship Central page.

Following Saturday's championships, both Haverford teams will prepare for the NCAA Metro Regional Championships on Saturday, November 14, in Bethlehem, Pa. The NCAA Championships follow November 21 in Northfield, Minn.