Catholic University Cross Country 2026 was successful on October 17 at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational. It was windy, but it was not raining, and the temperature was perfect for running. In a nice tradition, the Cardinals hosted a family tailgate after the meet, with a fantastic spread of food. The intent of the tailgate was so that the families could talk and get to know each other better.
The meet was also a success for the Catholic University Cross Country runner, as several set personal bests at the meet. The conditions were right for this outcome, as the cool temperatures fostered fast running. Three boys had great performances, and so did three women. One of the women crushed the school record with a fantastic performance in the six-kilometer race. She is only a freshman. Do you think great things are in store for her?
Catholic University Cross Country at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational
The runners from Catholic University took advantage of good running conditions at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational at Gettysburg College to set muliple personal bests, including one school record. The meet was enhanced by the presence of a family tailgate, which is an annual tradition meant to draw the families of the athletes together. Here is how the meet played out.
Men
On the men’s side, Senior Joey Locke recorded one of those personal bests in the eight-kilometer race with a time of 25:51.3. This performance is the eighth-fastest performance in program history. That great performance was made better by Freshman Aidan Malloy. He ran a blistering 26:05.4, which made him the second-place finisher for Catholic University Cross Country. It was also a personal best for him.
The rest of the top five for Catholic University Cross Country were Junior Patrick Morris. He ran 26:27.9 and also got a personal best. Junior Kamran Jagadesen ran 26:45.2, and Freshman Quinn Langan ran 26:46.3.
Seven other competitors competed for the Catholic University Cross Country Men. Sophomore Matt Haugh got a time of 26:52.8. Senior Richard Harrington recorded a time of 26:54.7. Freshman Matthew Montgomery ran 27:19.2. Junior Shane Warning ran 27:34.3. Freshman Kyle Beaber recorded a time of 27:42.3. Sophomore Tim Brown ran 27:44.9, and senior Joshua Leon ran a time of 29:20.8.
Women
The story was even better for the women’s Catholic University Cross Country. Freshman Saffron Blume destroyed the University record by more than 15 seconds. This result portends great things for her. The women finished ninth out of 46 teams. She ran a time of 21:36.1. The previous record holder was Kate Inglis, who graduated in 2025, and recorded a time of 21:51.1.
Blume placed 11th overall and 7th amongst Division III athletes in her stellar performance. Her time became the fifth-fastest in Conference history. Senior Alexa Grassi also got a personal best, logging a time of 23:06.3, the twelfth-fastest in Cardinal history. Senior Laurel McMahon had a time of 23:26.6. Sophomore Erin Roche, who finished fourth, ran a 23:37.5. Catherine Lorelle was the fifth finisher with a time of 23:41.9.
There were five other runners for the Women’s team. Sophomore Bridgid Cavanaugh ran a 23:52.3. Freshman Gianna Frey recorded a time of 24:42.3. Sophomores Margaret Glenn and Isabel Doran were next. Freshman Claire Oglesby got a time of 26:35.7.
Conclusion
This was a good performance for Catholic University Cross Country. The team did well at the Aubrey Shenk Invitational at Gettysburg College. There were six personal bests set and a program record established. In fact, Head Coach of Cross Country JT Klopcic focused on her in his comments. He said, “Both sides ran well with an impressive performance by freshman Saffron Blume to break the women’s six-kilometer record.” Next for the Cardinal in the Landmark Conference Championship on October 31 in Lockhaven, Pennsylvania, at the West Branch Cross Country course.
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