Cross Country Falls Against Biggest Rivals

The rivalry Harvard sports share with Yale and Princeton produces some of the most exciting contests of the year, but none has been closer then the men’s cross country matchups the past two seasons.

This Saturday, the Crimson men finished just a point behind Yale in the annual Big Two Championship for the second straight year. Half an hour earlier, the women’s cross country team battled its two biggest rivals, ultimately falling to Yale and Princeton in the 27th annual race between the three schools.

Men

In the men’s race, junior Alasdair McLean-Foreman won in a dramatic finish. Heading down the final straightaway, McLean-Foreman picked up his pace and finished in 24:24, just three seconds ahead of Yale’s top runner.

The weather—rainy, cold and windy—definitely played a role in the outcome of the race.

“It made [the race] more interesting,” freshman Nathan Dern said. “It added a new element to it that we hadn’t seen before.”

The race would have been interesting even without the weather. Junior captain Reed Bienvenu was edged by Yale’s Casey Moriarty for third place, with Moriarty finishing in 24:47 and Bienvenu trailing him by just two seconds.

Crimson junior Devin Lyons-Quirk, who finished in 25:42 and placed 10th, also was just two seconds away from placing higher.

“It was real disappointing—watching the team give it their all and then losing by one point,” Dern said.

Harvard will face Yale again this weekend at NCAA Pre-Nationals in Iowa, but its real focus will be on Heptagonals on Oct. 31.

“I don’t mind losing in the Harvard-Yale race,” freshman Connor Wilson said. “I want us to win in Heptagonals.”

With its plethora of young, talented runners, the Crimson will only improve as its freshmen gain collegiate experience.

Freshman Sean Barrett continued to impress, placing seventh. Meanwhile, his classmates captured five more spots in the top 20, with all their times falling under 26:30.

Women

The story for the Harvard women’s team was more disappointing, as only one Crimson runner placed in the top 10 overall. Princeton took home the Cheever Memorial Trophy, led by Emily Kroshus, who finished in 17:08.

Nevertheless, there was a positive atmosphere amongst the runners following the meet.

“A lot of girls made big jumps [on Saturday],” senior Katherine Katz said. “We’re still getting used to our course.”

Senior Mairead O’Callaghan, Harvard’s top finisher, placed eighth in a time of 17:49.

O’Callaghan was followed for the Crimson by a pair of Ontarians. Senior Beverly Whelan placed 11th in 18:03 and was followed 16 seconds later by sophomore Laura Maludzinski, who finished 18th.

Like their male counterparts, the freshmen continued to shine this weekend. Jennifer Saura led the first-year runners with a time of 19:25.

“We look to the freshmen more to contribute,” Katz said describing the team’s goals for the next meet.

Indeed, this upcoming week is the perfect chance for them to continue to learn their home course at Franklin Park, where Harvard will compete in the New England Championships on Friday.