HAVERFORD, Pa. – With five All-Centennial Conference runners leading a deep postseason contingent, the No. 22 Haverford College men's cross country team heads to Bethlehem, Pa., on Saturday, Nov. 14, seeking a fourth NCAA Metro Regional championship and a return to the national stage.
Moravian University hosts the regional at Lehigh University's Goodman Campus Cross Country Course, with the men's eight-kilometer race scheduled for noon. The Fords enter as the Metro Region's top-ranked team, looking to translate a strong fall campaign into a regional crown and an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championships.
In the Rankings
Haverford retained the No. 22 position in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll, released Nov. 4. The Fords collected 77 points, holding their position after finishing second at the Centennial Conference Championships. The Scarlet and Black also maintained the No. 1 spot in the USTFCCCA's final regular-season Metro Region rankings, released Nov. 3. TCNJ sits second, followed by Swarthmore, Moravian and Rowan. Haverford has held the region's top position since moving into the No. 1 spot in the first regular-season rankings. National recognition extends to D3 Glory Days, which placed Haverford 21st in its Oct. 21 post-interregional rankings. The Fords have climbed from No. 32 in that outlet's preseason rankings, building their national profile throughout the fall.
A Championship Tradition
Haverford captured the first three Metro Regional team championships after the region was established in 2021, winning consecutive crowns in 2021, 2022 and 2023. The most recent title came in a tightly contested race at DREAM Park in New Jersey, where the Fords scored 78 points to hold off Rowan (84) and TCNJ (91). That victory marked the program's 26th overall regional championship and secured its 30th consecutive NCAA Championships appearance. The Fords' regional pedigree also includes a remarkable run of individual success. Ryan Kredell claimed the Metro individual championship in 2022 before Peter LaRochelle won back-to-back titles in 2023 and 2024. Micah Lachman followed with a runner-up finish in 2025 and was named USTFCCCA Metro Region Athlete of the Year, giving Haverford four consecutive recipients of that award.
Looking at the Fords
Haverford's regional entry list includes seniors Owen Bluman, Luke de Valpine and Torin Pelton-Flavin; sophomores Cole Branstrom, Wade Garoutte, Daniel Gordon and Simon Lane; and first-years Kieran Berna, Ezra Kleinbaum and Nico Oshunrinade. That group gives head coach Matt Cohen a blend of experienced postseason competitors and emerging contributors as the Fords prepare to select their seven-runner lineup. Lane enters the weekend following another standout performance at the Centennial Conference Championships. The sophomore placed fourth in 24:41.0 at the Fran Rizzo Cross Country Course at Haverford College, securing his second consecutive first-team All-Centennial selection. Lane was the first runner outside of Johns Hopkins to finish, leading a Haverford squad that totaled 44 points and placed all five scorers among the top 13.
Already an NCAA Championships qualifier and All-Metro Region performer as a first-year, Lane has continued to establish himself near the front of strong fields. He finished seventh at the Connecticut College Invitational on Oct. 17, covering eight kilometers in 24:16.5 to earn Centennial Conference Athlete of the Week honors. Bluman and de Valpine provide a formidable senior presence alongside Lane. Bluman earned first-team All-Centennial recognition with a seventh-place finish in 24:58.7, while de Valpine took ninth in 25:03.6 to land on the second team. Both also delivered top-25 finishes at Connecticut College, with Bluman placing 16th in 24:36.6 and de Valpine finishing 25th in 24:41.5.
Branstrom and Kleinbaum completed the Fords' All-Centennial scoring contingent. Branstrom crossed 11th in 25:08.4, while Kleinbaum finished 13th in 25:14.7 in his conference championship debut. Just 33.7 seconds separated Haverford's first and fifth finishers, a compact scoring group that could prove especially valuable in Saturday's larger regional field.Gordon gives the Fords another runner capable of contributing to that pack after placing 16th at the conference meet in 25:20.8. Pelton-Flavin finished 26th in 25:55.3, followed by Garoutte in 28th at 25:59.2. Oshunrinade placed 36th in 26:25.5, while Berna crossed 54th in 26:57.4.Garoutte also led Haverford at its home invitational on Oct. 23, placing 12th in 20:27.9 over four miles as the Fords finished second in a field featuring Division I and Division II competition.
The Regional Field
TCNJ enters as Haverford's closest challenger in the regional rankings after winning the New Jersey Athletic Conference championship with 22 points and five runners among the top seven. Sophomore Joshua Santiago captured the individual conference title.Swarthmore brings a familiar Centennial Conference challenge after finishing third at the conference meet. Host Moravian arrives following its sixth consecutive Landmark Conference championship, while Rowan rounds out the region's top five after finishing second to TCNJ at the NJAC Championships. For Haverford, maintaining its tight scoring spread will be central to the championship pursuit. The Fords demonstrated their ability to compete against nationally ranked opposition at Connecticut College, finishing sixth with 203 points and placing ahead of five nationally ranked programs. They finished just seven points out of fourth place, providing a strong foundation for the postseason.
The Road Ahead
Saturday's regional team champion earns an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championships, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 21, at Carleton College in Northfield, Minn. Live results and entry information are available through Leone Timing, with additional meet information available on Moravian's Regional Central.
