SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine -- The men's and women's cross country teams ventured to South Portland, Maine for the Bates season opener today. Ideal weather conditions and a flat course made for a wonderful start to the year. Both squads placed their two top finishers ahead of all the other competitors, securing a first-place team victory for the men and a second-place team finish for the women. 

The women ran a 3340-meter course, roughly half the length of their typical 6-kilometer competitions. The women's race was led by senior Sadie Harrow (Bangor, Maine/Bangor), who crossed the line in 12:10.65 in her home state. Close behind her, running her first race in a Brandeis uniform, was junior transfer student Rhiannon Vos (Marston Mills, Mass./Monomoy Regional). She finished 2nd overall, less than 10 seconds after Harrow, with a time of 12:17.04. 

First-year Joely Klaristenfeld (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Acad.) was the next Brandeisian in the pack, coming in 18th place with a 12:51.73. Not far behind was senior Shayna Zavell (Highland Park, Ill./Highland Park), with a 13:11.25 and a 31st-place finish. On Zavell's tail was first-year Julia Velasco (Lawrence, Kans./Lawrence Free State) running a 13:19.40 to round out the top five scorers.

Sophomore Rebecca Hlavachek (Jefferson, Mass./Wachusett Regional) achieved a 13:28.27. She was followed by senior Mollie Nelson (Quincy, Mass./North Quincy), another new addition to the Brandeis team, who closed out the top seven with a time of 13:47.76. All seven female Judges finished in the top 50, putting them ahead of 50% of their competitors. 

The men also enjoyed an abbreviated race, running 4,340 meters instead of their usual eight kilometers. Another overall first-place finish was attained by senior Hugh Licklider (Newton, Mass./BC High), who ran a 13:21.76, for a 4:57 average mile pace. First-year Owen Powers (Cold Spring, N.Y./Haldane) was right on Licklider's heels in second place, coming in just two seconds behind with a 13:23.52. 

Fifth and sixth place overall went to junior Parker Cook (Old Saybrook, Conn./Old Saybrook) and sophomore Ben Weiner (Marlton, N.J./Cherokee). This duo crossed the finish line a mere second apart, with a 13:31.79 and 13:32.28 respectively. They were closely trailed by first-year Avery Innis (High Bridge, N.J./Voorhees), whose first collegiate race gave him a time of 13:34.69, putting all five Brandeis scorers among the top 10.

Next was junior Ben Katsev (N. Andover, Mass./N. Andover) with a 22nd-place finish and a 14:02.33, who was pursued by another junior, Steve Gonzales (Parkville, Md./Calvert Hall College HS). Gonzales' rounded out the top seven in first cross country race as a Judge, as he transferred to Brandeis in the spring of 2026. 

The train of junior men continued with Jason Linch (Charlotte, N.C./Harper Middle College H.S.) and Aidan Shames (Inwood, N.Y./Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics), 38th and 39th place finishers with times of 14:29.14 and 14:32.09. 

Junior James Waters (N. Merrick, N.Y./Wellington C. Mepham) completed his race in 14:49.21, and classmate William Drennan (Lindenhurst, N.Y./Lindenhurst) got a 15:41.89. 

The team celebrated the evening's triumphs with an exciting ringing of the bell outside Gosman upon their return. The Judges will race again in two weeks on Sept. 19 at UMass Dartmouth.