Cross country boasts trio of All-ACC honors
Stanford cross country opened its postseason campaign at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships on Friday. Juniors Sophia Kennedy and Leo Young led the way with top-10 finishes and All-ACC honors, helping the Cardinal women place fourth and the men place seventh overall. Sophomore James Dargan, who surged late to crack the top-20, also earned All-ACC honors.
Women’s race
Facing a field that included No. 2 NC State and No. 5 Notre Dame, the Cardinal women once again showcased their depth. Kennedy continued as the team’s No. 1 runner, clocking a collegiate-best 19:35.4 over 6K to finish seventh individually, marking her second top-10 finish of the season.
Graduate student Mena Scatchard turned in one of the day’s most impressive surges, climbing 12 spots in the final two kilometers to take 23rd in 20:08.5 to narrowly miss All-ACC honors. Behind her, junior Julia Flynn (37th, 20:18.5), senior Riley Stewart (44th, 20:27.2) and freshman Hanne Thomsen (46th, 20:28.0) rounded out Stanford’s scoring five. Stanford’s No. 1 through No. 4 runners each recorded season or personal bests, helping the team secure fourth place with 150 points.
Now ranked No. 2 in the West region, the women enter the NCAA West Regionals as one of the top contenders for the regional title.
Men’s race
On the men’s side, Young and Dargan carried Stanford to a seventh-place team finish against a deep field led by No. 4 Virginia and No. 6 Syracuse. Young surged from outside the top-10 within the last two kilometers of the 8K course to place fifth in 22:55.0, a career-best mark by 10 seconds.
Dargan also delivered a breakthrough performance, moving up 10 spots across the race’s middle kilometers to finish 19th in 23:18.1 and earn his first-ever All-ACC honors. Sophomore Josh Bell (41st, 23:46.9), freshman Evan Noonan (49th, 23:51.8) and sophomore Byron Grevious (60th, 24:01.3) completed the scoring five.
Each of the scoring five for the Cardinal posted personal or season bests to help secure 164 team points. With a current No. 4 ranking heading into regionals, the men will look to compete for a podium finish — this time a 10-kilometer race.
Looking ahead
With conference competition now behind them, both Cardinal teams shift their focus to the NCAA West Regional Championships in Sacramento on Nov. 14, where they will compete for a ticket to the NCAA Championships. A top-two finish at the regional would guarantee automatic qualification to the NCAA Championships later this month. The NCAA Cross Country Subcommittee will also choose 14 at-large teams across nine regions to fill out the 32-team national field.
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