This week, the Brandeis University cross country teams took the course and competed in the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) Invitational. For the first time this season, the women ran as a nationally-ranked squad, 29th, and placed second, while the men placed 10th overall.
The Judges held their own this weekend, as they ran without senior leader and All-American Niamh Kenney, finishing just 15 points behind the victores WPI, 68-83. Senior leader Erin Magill ‘22 led the Judges this weekend, placing fourth overall with a time of 17:52:0; Magill nearly knocked a minute off her career-best for a five-kilometer course, finishing just 13 seconds behind the winner from Wellesley. Natalie Hattan ‘22 finished second on the Brandeis squad with an overall ninth-place finish, which was seventh among Division III runners. Her time was 18:30.40. Hattan shaved 45 seconds off her previous career best 5k time as she broke 19 minutes for the first time in her collegiate career. Juliette Intrieri ‘24 was the Judges’ third runner; she placed 22nd overall with an impressive time of 19:07.9 in her second collegiate race.
Bridget Pickard ‘23 also ran a personal best, shaving off 12 seconds; Pickard finished 32nd overall and fourth on her team with a time of 19:20.8. Kayla DiBenedetto ‘25 rounded out the Brandeis scores in 33rd place, finishing in 19:21.3. First year Zada Forde finished 45th in 19:35.60 and classmate Kyra Au placed 82nd with a time of 20:15.90.
The men finished with 344 points placing 10th overall in the tournament, only 44 points behind ninth place, Roger Williams. For the second week in a row, senior runner Matthew Driben completed the five mile course in 25:04:20, which landed him 16th place this week. He ran 49 seconds faster and placed one position better than his previous showing at the UMass Dartmouth course. In his first collegiate race, Daniel Frost ‘25 was the team’s second finisher, coming in 60th with a time of 26:14.80. Walter Tebbetts ‘24, who also ran his first collegiate five mile course, placed 70th overall with a mark of 26:23.80.
The Judges’ fourth runner beat his personal best at the UMass Dartmouth course by one minute and one second; Casey Brackett ‘23 finished in 88th place overall. Jac Guerra ‘22, a senior veteran on the Brandeis squad, rounded out the top five placing 126th place in 27:31.20. Luca Dia ‘25 finished behind Guerra in 136th place in 27:44.9, while Erik Lopez, a fellow rookie on the men’s squad, finished 149th with a mark of 27:54.90. Jacob Grant ‘22, a senior on the Brandeis men’s cross country team, closed out the Brandeis runners in 28:34.0, an impressive time for 173rd place.
On Oct. 2, the Judges mens and womens cross country squads will travel to take on Keene State in their Invitational event for their third race of the season.
