Cross-Country Teams Struggle Against Conference Rivals

The Harvard cross country team opened its Ivy League season this weekend with a pair of dual defeats.

The Harvard men fell to Yale at Franklin Park by a final score of 38-20 on Friday. The loss marks the third year in a row that the men failed to take home the Main Memorial Trophy.

Senior Reed Bienvenu was Harvard’s top finisher, taking home third place with a time of 24:46. Yale’s Casey Moriarty won the race and led Yale to the victory.

On the brighter side of this weekend’s meet, the Crimson freshmen continued to show that they are making an impact for Harvard this season.

Rookies Christopher Green and Ryan Hafer finished sixth and seventh, respectively.

On Saturday, the Crimson women lost to both Yale and Princeton at Battefield Park in New Jersey. The Tigers won the meet with a final point total of 23, while Yale followed with 54. The Crimson came in third with 57.

The Harvard freshmen continue to dazzle for the women’s team, with Lindsey Scherf taking home second in the Crimson’s annual tri-meet.

Scherf’s time of 17:23 was just four seconds off of the old course record. which was broken by Princeton’s Cack Ferrell, who won the meet with a time of 17:12. The Crimson’s next best finisher on Saturday was junior Laura Maludzinski, who placed tenth with a time of 18:16.

Other scorers for Harvard included senior Linsdey Yourman (18:21), freshman Lauren Walker (18:26) and freshman Sarah Bourne (19:04).

Both teams emerge now from the dual meet season and begin the run of championships leading up to Heptagonals. The Crimson returns to action this Friday at the New England Championships held on its home-field course in Franklin Park.

—GABRIEL M. VELEZ