Springfield College men’s and women’s cross country made massive strides in 2024, as they recently wrapped up both of their seasons.
Early on there were struggles for the men’s side, but in mid-October, the Pride ran themselves into fourth place out of 18 teams in the James Earley Invitational — a mark that was six slots better than 2023. Graduate student Chris Vayda suffered an injury prior to the season, but in his second meet back, he finished 12th overall in a field of 187 with a time of 26:42.02. Joe Wong and Elijah Quinn came in 22nd and 30th, respectively, to put together a strong outing, ultimately sparking confidence and faith in the rest of the team.
After multiple solid meets from the men’s team, the Pride finished fifth in the NEWMAC, and 13th out of 24, in the Mideast Regional Championships. Both placings were higher than last year, suggesting a bright future. Five of the 12 runners this year were first-years, and newcomers Quinn and Ty Sanges both stood out.
Head coach Anna Steinman, who has been at the helm for both teams for nine years, is proud of the men’s team growth.
“All the freshmen, you could say, had a really big improvement from just their high school times and made a good impact in their first season,” Steinman said. “Everybody, to be honest, had great seasons. It’s hard to single people out.”
The men’s team improved, year-over-year, in three of the five meets, and saw top-100 finishes in the Regional Championships from Vayda, Wong, Justin Jordaens and Henry Yablon.
For the women’s side, multiple Springfield runners made big-time improvements, and even had a great placement in the NEWMACs. The team was led by seniors Maddie Shea and Elina Olmedo, as well as junior Leah Castle.
The Pride had sound performances in the Trinity Invitation, James Earley Invitational and the NEWMAC Championship, placing sixth in all three, in a field of 11 teams, 16 teams and 12, respectively. The sixth-place finish in the NEWMAC championship was their best placement since 2011, and Steinman credits the season success on the effort from the team.
“They all just were on the same page in terms of doing their summer training,” Steinman said. “They were all really strong, and everybody was just super positive and really just happy to always be at practice and competing. That helps, because that’s super contagious. I think that just helps when they go out and compete, because they’re all and not just running for themselves, but running for each other too. When you compete, the good times come.”
Olmedo took a massive leap this season as she finished over 30 sports higher in both the NEWMAC and the Mideast Regional Championships compared to last year. Olmedo placed 21st overall in the NEWMAC championship with a time of 23:05.0, followed by a great performance from Shea and Castle – who both placed in the top 50. With help from other runners, the women’s team looks to be even better next year.
“I coach it like a team sport,” Steinman said. “I talk to people individually, and make sure to get on the same page as everyone else. This place is such a contagiously positive environment to be in.”