NEW LONDON, Conn. -- This afternoon in Connecticut, the men's and women's cross country teams got to compete together in full-length races for the first time this season. Hosted by Connecticut College, this course was directly by the ocean and offered lovely views for runners and spectators. Chilly weather made conditions great for many team members to run faster than ever before.  Both teams came in 17th amongst a field full of top 25 teams in the USTFCCCA national polls. The women totaled 462 points, the men 447. 

First for the women's team was sophomore Mikaela Beeler (Livermore, Calif./ Livermore), who came in 43rd place with a 21:52.6. This was about 40 seconds faster than her 6k PR from last year. Shortly after, senior Sadie Harrow (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) crossed the finish in 58th with a 22:04.6, roughly a 30 second improvement from her previous best time.  Next came first-year Joely Klaristenfeld (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Acad.), who made it into the top 100 for her first 6k, earning a 22:23.9. 

Fourth for Brandeis was senior Shayna Zavell (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park) who finished with a 24:29.6. This was a 15-second PR for Zavell. Not far behind were senior Mollie Nelson (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy) and sophomore Rebecca Hlavachek (Jefferson, Mass./Wachusett Regional), both women racing a 6k for the first time. Nelson got a 24:54.4 and Hlavackek got a 25:08.0. 

Senior Hugh Licklider (Newton, Mass./BC High) led the men's team, getting 19th overall with a time of 24:38.8. Licklider shaved about 30 seconds off his prior best from last month. Second for the team was junior Ben Katsev (N. Andover, Mass./ N. Andover) who PRed by around 90 seconds in his first 8k of the season with a 25:28.8 and a top 100 finish. 

Next was first-year Owen Powers (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane), who took two seconds off his time from last month. Powers crossed with a 25:45.6. Junior Parker Cook (Old Saybrook, Conn./Old Saybrook) and sophomore Ben Weiner (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee) finished a second apart with a 26:00.6 for Cook and a 26:01.9 for Weiner. First-year Avery Innis (High Bridge, N.J./Voorhees) came next and got a 26:23.0. 

The team's seventh and eighth runners, juniors Jason Linch (Charlotte, N.C./Harper Middle College H.S.) and Aidan Shames (Inwood, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics), finished only a few seconds apart. Shames crushed the PR he set last month, improving by over 30 seconds with a 27:29.8. Linch also set a new personal best by about 40 seconds, crossing with a 27:32.4. 

The Judges will race next in Warrenville, Illinois, for the 2027 University Athletic Association championship meet. Put on by the University of Chicago, this race will take place on Halloween.