CLINTON, N.Y. - Bard is rounding into form heading into championship season. With only one meet left before the Liberty League Championship, the Hamilton Invitational offers a chance to run deep in a race and practice against similarly matched opponents. Bard places runners in top spots and performs well in team scores.

Luca Foty places 12th overall, and Elijah Flynn returns to competition, on the mend from his knee injury. Coach Brody Smith says, "It was a good day. Seeing our girls compete with Clarkson, knowing we are working our way toward competition with Liberty League teams is fun. Considering that this kind of day last year would've been our best day, and now it's just average."

Women come off the line first, starting strong through the first kilometer. By the time they complete the first loop, Luca Foty sits in a dominant 7th, with Ceili Irving just two places behind, and Anna Shtandenko a couple of places behind her. Seconds late, the second pack appears over the hill: Alex Laskowski, Kai Roper, and Emma St. Peter will stay together for the remainder of the race. Foty finishes 12th, missing the top ten by just twenty seconds. She finishes as the first non-Hamilton runner, taking 24:50.7 minutes to traverse the six kilometers. The order from the first loop holds, with Irving finishing in 25:30.0 for 15th place; the pair of first-years has finished first and second in some order at every race this season. Anna Shtandenko has improved massively over the past few months, and she packs up with Foty and Irving, coming into the finish at 25:56.3 for 17th place.

Even closer together, Laskowski, Roper, and St. Peter finish 29th through 31st, all within twenty seconds. Laskowski runs 28:02.1, Roper runs a personal-best 28:20.7, and St. Peter runs 28:22.2. At a decisive moment halfway into the six kilometers, Laskowski takes the lead and pushes the rest of the team through the finish. From Laskowski after the race: "I was motivated to push forward at the gradual downhill when the men's team was cheering for me; about a half mile later, I got a second wind, and I just fully locked in. I just pushed a lot harder for the rest of the race, and they stayed right behind me." Bard places third of six teams, scoring 71 points, only three behind Clarkson in second. 

Elijah Flynn has returned to cross-country racing, and the team is much better for it. From Flynn, after the race: "It was a wonderful time being back out there with my incredible team. I was having a fun time passing people. I had a good time cheering on my teammates as I passed them. People didn't follow me as much as I tried to make them." It's a good sign when Flynn is enjoying racing again; he has been sorely missed by the team, and he leads the front of the charge now, placing 32nd with a 28:26.7. Pacing with him for the second half of the race, Colin Buttitta continues his standout first season for Bard, running 28:42.3 for 34th place. Seconds later, Charlie Grenadier crossed the line in 28:48.6 to finish 36th. Calvin Thomas is working to overcome the mental barrier that has plagued him for the last three races.

At Hamilton, he stays relaxed and composed; his focus on the present rewards him with a personal best of 29:47.1, finishing 47th. Chris Eskrett is dealing with a lower-back issue, which flared up around the third mile. Despite that, he pushed through to a 30:33.5, finishing 56th. Johnny Henriquez rounds out the men's scoring, running a 32:12.3 for 67th place. Bard placed fourth of eight teams on the men's side, narrowly beating Onondaga CC by one point. After the race, Thomas brings the team together and highlights three things each did well and one thing they need to improve. Even in moments of success, the team remains committed to the process.

Bard Cross Country looks poised to pull off some big upsets during championship season. The last time five men ran under 30 minutes in the 8k, Jack Keelan was still on the team, alongside Clemente Esponilla, Bo Hopwood, Elijah Flynn, and Able Bloodgood, practically the lineup of the first five men one would think of when naming legendary Bard runners.

Bard now averages its fastest time ever, especially on the women's side, which has never had such a strong front side, usually supported by only one talented runner. In both races, Bard is within striking distance of competitive Liberty League teams, and with the championships hosted at home, Bard is at a pivotal moment in distance running history. Foty makes an insightful comment that applies to the race and the path Bard has traveled to get here: "The hill is never as steep as it seems."

Women's 6K (3rd out of 5th)
12. Luca Foty 24:50.7
15. Ceili Irving 25:30.0
17. Anna Shtandenko 25:56.3
Alex Laskowski 28:02.1
Kai Roper 28:20.7
Emma St Peter 28:22.2

Men's 8K (4th out of 8th) 
Elijah Flynn 28:26.7
Colin Buttitta 28:42.3
Charles Grenadier 28:48.6
Calvin Thomas 29:47.1
Chris Eskrett 30:33.5
Johnny Henriquez 32:12.3