Cross Country at the Connecticut College Invitational
Saturday, October 15 | 10 a.m. (Women's White) / 11 a.m. (Men's White) / 1 p.m. (Men's Blue)
Harkness Park | Waterford, Conn.
LIVE TIMING
THE SETUP
• In the final race of the regular season, the Babson men's and women's cross country teams will compete in the Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday at Harkness Park in Waterford.
• The women's 6k (White) race is set to start at 10 a.m. and will be followed by the men's 8k (White) meet at 11 a.m. Sophomore Anthony Rodriguez will compete in the men's 8k (Blue) race at 1 p.m.
SCOUTING THE BABSON MEN
• Babson is competing for the first time since placing fourth out of 12 schools at the Bowdoin Invitational back on September 24.
• Rodriguez registered an impressive second-place finish among 123 runners to lead the Beavers, finishing in a time of 25:15 on the 8k course and finishing just six seconds out of the top spot.
• Sophomore Julian Ivarra came in 20th overall in a time of 26:51, which was just two spots ahead of graduate student Ryan Wilson, who placed 22nd just five seconds behind. Senior Yudai Yamakawa was the fourth man across the line, finishing in 39th place in 27:33, and sophomore Zachary Walker came in 44h place overall in 27:42.
SCOUTING THE BABSON WOMEN
• The Beavers back on the trails for the first time since a solid fifth-place finish out of 11 schools at the Bowdoin Invitational back on September 24.
• First-year Alexandra Kirkpatrick was the top Babson finisher for the second time this season, placing 24th among 105 competitors in a time of 24:38 on the 6k course. Classmate Chloe Clifford was 10 spots back in 34th in a time of 25:02.
• Senior Nicole Johns and first-year Ali Thomas came along in 49th and 52nd place, respectively, in times of 25:52 and 25:56. First-year Avery Butt was the fifth Beaver to cross the line in 28:36.
NEWMAC HONOR
• Rodriguez was honored for his performance at Bowdoin last month when he was named NEWMAC Men's Runner of the Week on September 26.
• The runner-up finish for the Beaver sophomore in a time of 25:15 on the 8k course was just a second off his season best and ranks sixth-best all-time in program history.
LAST TIME AT CONNECTICUT COLLEGE
• Babson last competed at the Connecticut College Invitational back in 2018, with the men's team placing 23rd of 27 teams and the women finishing 19th of 25 schools.
• Matthew Dynan '19 was the men's top finisher in the 8k race, coming in 86th with a time of 26:21. He was followed by Collin Regan '22, who finished 115th overall in a time of 26:38.
• The Babson women were led by Stephanie Rodriguez '20, who finished 88th on the 6k course with a time of 23:39, while Emma Cavanagh '21 crossed the finish line in 118th position with a career-best time of 24:15.
BABSON HISTORY AT HARKNESS PARK
• Some of the fastest times in program history have been run at Harkness Park. Dynan ran a time of 25:38 at both the 2016 and 2017 Connecticut College Invitationals, which are tied for 15th best on the Babson men's all-time list of top performances.
• John Decker '18 ran a time of 26:12 in 2017, which ranks tied for 36th-best on the list, and Dynan's 26:21 in 2018 is tied for 56th on the Babson chart.
• Claudia Schulz '08 ran a time of 23:26 on the 6k course at the NCAA New England Regionals in 2007, which ranks 18th on the Babson women's all-time list for best 6k times. Stephanie Rodriguez's time of 23:39 in the 2018 regular season race and the 23:40 by Chaela Hood '19 in the 2015 NCAA New England Regionals are the 20th and 21st best times on the list.
• Six other Beaver performances at Harkness Park rank in the women's program's top 50 times – Hood in the 2015 Invitational (24:05, 34th); Rodriguez in the 2017 Invitational (24:12, 37th); Emma Cavanaugh '21 in the 2018 Invitational (24:15, T-39th); Hood in the 2016 Invitational (24:16, 41st); and Camille Lewis '21 and Hannah Piispanen '22 in the 2018 Invitational (24:42, T-50th).
POLL POSITION
• The Beavers are ranked eighth in this week's USTFCCCA Men's East Region poll. NEWMAC rival MIT tops the regional poll and WPI is fifth, and MIT is ranked second in the Division III poll.
• The Babson men were picked to finish third and the women 10th when the NEWMAC released its preseason coaches' polls last month.
UP NEXT
• The Beavers turn their attention to the post-season as the team will compete in the NEWMAC Championships on October 30 at Highland Park, Mark Coogan Course in Attleboro, Mass.
