On Nov. 15, the Bison cross country team participated in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Championship, held in Bethlehem, Pa. The women’s cross country team finished in 11th place out of 31 teams, while the men’s cross country team ranked 10th overall. The two teams each had a strong leading runner who helped establish their finishes within the Championship.

The women’s team was led by Ashley Blair ’21. Blair finished in 43rd place, clocking in with a time of 21:11.8. With this time, Blair earned herself the title of the second-fastest Patriot League runner at the meet. Her efforts finished behind Navy runner Emily Craig, who finished in 31st. Ashlyn Ramos ’22 finished with a time of 21:25.9, while Olivia Dyer ’22 finished with a time of 21:34.3.

“Our team this year is a very special one. We’re extremely young after graduating some very successful seniors. Our team’s motto from the beginning is that we’re ‘young and hungry’ and that’s exactly what we were throughout the season, all the way through the NCAA championships where we placed 11th,” Blair said. “Even with our limited veterans, we were able to have a successful season with a 2nd place finish at Patriot League meets against schools that had older and more experienced runners. This season has been absolutely amazing, and I am excited to say that five of our top seven runners will be returning next year which sets us up for some greater successes in the upcoming years.”

The men’s cross country team was led by Drew Dorflinger ’20, who earned All-Region honors after taking 12th place in the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional Meet. This was Dorflinger’s first All-Region honor and the Bison’s first since 2016. Dorflinger was the second highest-placed runner within the Patriot League teams, finishing behind Navy runner Jake Brophy. The Orange and Blue had several other successful runners within the race, including Jake Stupak ’20 who finished after Dorflinger, earning 36th place with a time of 31:11.9.

The Bison finished their season strong and are excited to train for the upcoming year. Each member improved throughout the season and the Bison will look to build momentum going forward.