KEENE, N.H. -- On a cold and rainy Saturday morning both the men's and women's cross country teams ran to individual and team titles at the Keene State Cross Country Invitational. Both teams reached victory in a very similar fashion, each placing all scoring runners in the top ten and their entire varsity lineups in the top twenty.
The 29th men were led by their senior class. Senior Ryan Stender (Amherst, Mass. / Amherst) took home the individual title running to a time of 25:46. It was Stender's first career win after four runner-up finishes and two third-places. Fellow senior Mitchell Hutton (Villa Park, Calif. / Villa Park) came through right behind Stender, securing second in 26:03. Two rookies who have excelled in their first collegiate seasons were the Judges third and fourth scorers. Luke Ostrander (Tacoma, Wash. / Bellarmine Prep) ran to a time of 26:31 and fifth place while Mark Murdy (Plantsville, Conn. / Southington) ran 26:40 for seventh. Rounding out the top five was senior Liam Garvey (West Springfield, Mass. / West Springfield) who, in his season debut over 8k, ran 26:45 for ninth. Closing out the team's varsity seven were senior Max Whitmore (Wayne, N.J. / Newark Acad.) in 11th with a time of 26:58 and sophomore Brian Gao (Hopkinton, Mass. / Hopkinton) in 17th with a time of 27:23.
The women were led with a win by Emily Bryson (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) followed by Julia Bryson (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) in fourth, Emily timed at 17:38 and Julia at 18:51. Emily has finished first or second in each of Brandeis's three meets this season. The sisters were then followed by the duo of rookie Niahm Kenney (Hanover, Mass./Hanover) and sophomore Danielle Bertaux (Prides Crossing, Mass./Beverly) who placed sixth and seventh, running 19:16 and 19:19, respectively. Senior Kyra Shreeve (Northborough, Mass. / Algonquin Reg.) came across as the all-important fifth woman in tenth with a time of 19:48 to close out the scoring. Juniors Doyin Ogundiran (Dix Hills, N.Y. / Half Hollow Hills East), 11th in 19:55 and Christine Minor (Alameda, Calif. / Alameda), 18th in 20:15 came very soon after to round out the Judges top seven.
Both teams will hit the course again in two weeks time at the Connecticut College Invite on October 14th.
-- Eli Waxler '19