BETHLEHEM, Pa. – The No. 22 Haverford College men's cross country team returned to the top of the regional podium Saturday, capturing the NCAA Division III Metro Regional Championship with a commanding 23-point performance at the Goodman Cross Country Course on the campus of Lehigh University. Senior Owen Bluman won the individual eight-kilometer title, leading five Fords among the top 10 as Haverford earned an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Championships next weekend in Minnesota. 

The victory marked Haverford's 27th regional team championship and its first since 2023, securing the program's 41st team appearance at the national championships. The Fords finished 34 points ahead of runner-up TCNJ (57), with Swarthmore third (80), Moravian fourth (119) and DeSales fifth (145).

Haverford's championship effort was defined by its incredible depth. The team's five scorers finished within just 28.3 seconds of one another, averaging 25:15.9, while six Fords earned All-Metro Region honors by placing among the top 35 individuals. All seven Haverford competitors finished among the top 36.  The Fords were second in the team standings through three kilometers, trailing TCNJ, but seized control between the 3K and 4K checkpoints. Haverford moved into first at 4K and never relinquished its lead, steadily expanding the margin over the second half of the race.

At the front, Bluman and sophomore Simon Lane delivered a memorable 1-2 finish. Bluman crossed the line in 25:02.0, edging out Lane by seven-tenths of a second as the sophomore clocked 25:02.7. The teammates were virtually inseparable throughout the eight kilometers, with only three-tenths separating them at the 7K checkpoint.

Bluman's triumph continued Haverford's recent tradition of individual regional champions, following Ryan Kredell's title in 2022 and Peter LaRochelle's back-to-back victories in 2023 and 2024. It was a major postseason breakthrough for Bluman, who finished 22nd at the 2025 regional championship and earned first-team All-Centennial honors with a seventh-place finish at this year's conference meet.

Lane, who placed fourth at the Centennial Conference Championships, added a runner-up regional finish to an already impressive sophomore campaign. The performance earned him yet another All-Region distinction as he prepares to return to the national stage after competing individually in 2025.

First-year Ezra Kleinbaum gave Haverford three of the first four finishers, placing fourth overall in 25:20.2. The rookie, who earned second-team All-Centennial honors earlier this fall, secured his first All-Region accolade while contributing just four points to the Fords' winning total.

Senior Luke de Valpine followed in sixth place with a time of 25:24.4, finishing only 4.2 seconds behind Kleinbaum. His result gave Haverford four of the first six finishers and continued a strong postseason after his second-team All-Centennial performance at the conference championships.

Sophomore Daniel Gordon completed the scoring five with a 10th-place showing in 25:30.3, adding his first All-Region recognition. Haverford's scoring placements of first, second, fourth, sixth and 10th accounted for just 23 points and put each of the Fords' five scorers ahead of TCNJ's third finisher.

Senior Torin Pelton-Flavin placed 20th in 26:12.9, earning All-Region honors for the second consecutive season after finishing 30th in 2025. Sophomore Cole Branstrom rounded out the seven-man lineup in 36th place at 26:38.3, narrowly missing All-Region recognition by one spot after earning second-team All-Centennial honors earlier in the postseason.

The championship represented a fitting response for the Scarlet and Black after finishing runner-up to Johns Hopkins at the Centennial Conference Championships on Oct. 31. Haverford entered the regional meet holding the top position in the Metro Region rankings and delivered on that billing with its strongest collective performance of the postseason. The result restored Haverford to the Metro Region summit after a two-year gap and added to a championship history that includes three consecutive regional crowns from 2021 through 2023. It also marked the first regional team title under head coach Matt Cohen, who succeeded longtime head coach Tom Donnelly following the 2023 season.

Haverford, the 2010 NCAA Division III national champion, now returns to nationals as a team for the first time since 2023. The Fords previously assembled a remarkable streak of 30 consecutive NCAA Championships appearances from 1993 through 2023, excluding the canceled 2020 season, as the squad will continue to revel in one of the most enduring traditions of national success in Division III cross country.

The Fords will compete at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championships on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Bill Huyck Championship Cross Country Course in Northfield, Minn. Hosted by Carleton College, the men's eight-kilometer championship race is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT (2 p.m. ET).