The Kenyon cross country teams finished their 2024 seasons after competing in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championships. The men finished in 20th in a field of 42 teams, while the women finished 26th out of 39 teams.
Men: The Owls’ 20th place finish matched their best finish at regionals in over a decade, demonstrating the program’s significant growth and potential. For the first time this season, Josh Breard ’26 did not lead the Owls to the line as Charlie Menzel ’28 paced the team in his first career regional race. Menzel finished with a time of 26:51.62, which was good for 96th out of the 283 runners. He was followed closely by Breard, who finished the race in 26:52.46, and Charlie Blackmer ’28, who came in at 26:59.09.
Kenyon’s other scoring runners were Dylan Sibbitt ’26, who stopped the clock at 27:04.3, and Henry Rodrigues ’26, who finished a few seconds later, at 27:08.71. Kenyon’s final runner to cross the finish line was Peter Bernhardt ’25, with a time of 27:12.07.
Breard is confident that the team’s showing at regionals is reflective of their bright future and a byproduct of their collective determination. “The broader implications of this season highlight the program’s great potential: We have a pack of gutsy runners who are willing to push themselves and each other when things get tough,” he wrote in an email to the Collegian. “We run not only with one another but for one another.”
Women: The top runner for the women’s team was Olivia Ide ’27, finishing 69th out of the 270 runners, with an impressive time of 23:46.49. Ide was followed by Ellianne Retzlaff ’25, the team’s lone senior, who recorded a final time of 25:07.36 for a 145th-place finish.
The next finisher for the Owls was Penny Griffioen ’27, who finished in 161st place by clocking in at 25:26.00. Lucie Prior ’28 and Hannah Gross ’27 ended as Kenyon’s final two scoring runners. Prior crossed the line in 25:32.24 for 167th place, while Gross finished in a personal-best time of 25:48.92 for 178th place.
Ide’s finish as Kenyon’s top runner is even more impressive, considering that she had to work through an injury earlier in the season. She returned to action in October’s Paul Short Run and continued to improve throughout the year, culminating in her team-best performance at regionals.
Gross reiterated the significance of the team’s showing at regionals and attributed their success to the team’s strong work ethic. “Everyone gave the race their all. We’re a young group, and we’re still fine tuning our strategies, but the race showcased the hard work we’ve put in throughout the whole season,” she wrote in an email to the Collegian.
Kenyon will return to competition in the fall of 2025 as both teams will look to build on their strong 2024 seasons.
Dylan Sibbitt ’26 is the opinions editor of the Collegian.