HOPKINTON, N.H.—Graduate student Anthony Rodriguez (Prairie View, Ill.) and senior Julian Ivarra (Plano, Texas) both recorded top-15 finishes to help the Babson College men's cross country team finish a program-best sixth in the NCAA East Regional at the Hopkinton Fairgrounds on Saturday afternoon. 

The Beavers came in sixth overall and posted their lowest point total in school history (207) in Saturday's 8k meet. MIT finished first with 43 points and earned an automatic bid into next Saturday's Division III National Championships, while Tufts (61 points) and WPI (128 points) placed second and third, respectively. 

Rodriguez recorded the highest regional finish of his career by coming in 10th with a time of 25:03, while Ivarra posted his top finish at the NCAA East Regional with a time of 25:15 that was good for 13th place. Both harriers in position to be selected among the top seven individuals from non-qualifying teams when the NCAA announces the 22 at-large teams on Sunday afternoon. 

Joining Rodriguez and Ivarra in giving Babson three all-region honorees for the first time in program history was first-year Nick Yacoub (Sharon, Mass.), who came in 32nd overall with a time of 25:53. Graduate student Matthew Campbell (South Easton, Mass.) finished the course in 27:11, which was just two seconds off his personal best, to come in 73rd. 

Sophomore John Hanscom (Hadley, Mass.) finished 79th with a time of 27:15, classmate Almond Nickerson IV (Darien, Conn.) was four seconds behind him in 83rd place. Graduate student Ryan Wilson (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) posted a time of 27:28 in his final collegiate race. 

MEET NOTES
•    Babson's sixth-place finish was one spot better than in 2021 and 2022, and its 207 points were 19 lower than the previous low of 226 two years ago. 
•    Rodriguez is the only four-time all-region performer in program history after placing 16th in 2021 and 2022 and 15th last season, while Ivarra claimed his second consecutive all-region award after coming in 27th a year ago.