The Georgetown University men’s and women’s cross country teams look to be in incredible form after competing for the first time this season Aug. 30 at the Big East Preview in Leesburg, Va. alongside George Washington University. The men’s squad finished with seven runners in the top ten of the 6,000 meters and the women’s team finished with three in the top ten of the 5,000-meter race
The Georgetown women’s cross country team is expecting to have a spectacular season after ranking as No. 16 in the preseason national poll from the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and No. 1 in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The men’s team is also expecting strong placement, projected to be No. 3 in the Mid-Atlantic.
Both teams hope to build upon their successful 2023 seasons. The women’s team, led by two-time All-American senior Melissa Riggins, captured their third consecutive Mid-Atlantic title before finishing 18th at the national championships, while the men’s team came third in the region and 30th nationally.
The women sent only five athletes to the Big East Preview, but they made their mark — junior Cate Joaquin, blazing past competition, posted a time of 17:38, securing second place. Junior Mary Grace Hegberg and sophomore Sally Binder also secured spots in the top 10 for the Hoyas with times of 19:13 and 19:24, respectively.
“We were thrilled to see the five competing tonight to kick off our season,” women’s cross country Head Coach Mitchell Baker said in an interview with Georgetown Athletics. “Joaquin challenged for the win; she’s come a long way and is ready for a great year.”
In the 6,000 meter, the Georgetown men’s team dominated with seven of their runners placing in the top ten. Senior Lucas Guerra, sophomore Birhanu Harriman, and junior Luke Ondracek cruised across the finish line together to complete a photo finish with a shared time of 18:37. They were followed by sophomore Alazar Teffra at 18:41 and graduate student Abel Teffra, sophomore Akshay Vadul and first-year James Dunne, who all crossed at 18:43.
Men’s Head Coach Brandon Bonsey said the meet served as an encouraging benchmark in preparation for the rest of the season.
“The men executed their plan perfectly,” Bonsey told Georgetown Athletics. “Today was a double threshold day and the goal was to get in the correct effort while seeing the Big East course. I like what I’ve seen from the team so far and we are excited for the season.”
With the preseason and exhibition stage over, expect times to improve and the intensity to rise. The bar has never been higher for the Hoyas, but neither has their confidence, talent or hunger.
Georgetown cross country will return Sept. 7 for the Cantello Invitational in Annapolis, Md., where the women’s team seeks to live up to their No. 16 projection. The next competition for the men’s team will be Sept. 13 in University Park, Pa. for the Spiked Shoe Invitational.