Pick Finishes Third, Steinberg 22nd to Take All-America Honors at NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Henry Pick finished third overall in a school-record time of 23:40.4, matching the second best individual finish at nationals in program history and shattering the program record for a time in an 8K race, and Stevie Steinberg finished 22nd to earn All-America honors as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's cross country team earned sixth place at the NCAA Division III Championships at EP "Tom" Sawyer State Park.

The sixth-place finish also ties the second-best team finish in CMS men's cross country history, matching the performance from two years ago, when Thomas D'Anieri finished third as an individual, a feat which Pick matched on Saturday. The 2016 team holds the high standard in program history with a fifth-place finish.

Steinberg held the lead after the first 1000 meters with a time of 3.03, and Kyril Van Schendel was in fourth as the Stags got off to a quick start. Pick then made his move into the front pack, as the top five separated themselves at the midway point of the race.

The top five then thinned out to four, but Alex Phillip of John Carroll and Elias Lindgren of Williams were able to pull ahead and make it a two-runner race for the individual championship, which Phillip ended up winning in 23:27.6. Pick kept up his pace, though, and crossed the line in third just two seconds ahead of Aidan Ryan of Williams, tying D'Anieri for the second-best finish in program history, behind the second-place finish from David Juiliano in 2001.

Pick's 23:40.4 time easily broke the program's 8K record of 24:18.9 by almost 40 seconds, which had held since Juiliano set it in his 2001 NCAA race in Rock Island, Illinois.  

Steinberg, who captured the NCAA West Regional Championship after Pick won the SCIAC Championship, finished in 24:09.0 to join Pick in the All-America list and record the second-best time in program history. Miles Christensen was 59th in 24:34.9 for his best career finish in three trips to nations, Evan Hassman finished in 102nd in 24:51.6 and Van Schendel was 105th in 24:54.1. Will Kimball was 123rd and Adam Wilkinson came in 142nd to finish in the top half of the 293-runner field.

CMS ended in sixth, which tied the 2019 team for the second-best finish in program history. Pomona-Pitzer repeated as national champions, followed by MIT, Williams, John Carroll and Wisconsin-Whitewater. WashU, SUNY Geneseo, Wartburg and Wisconsin-La Crosse rounded out the top 10.

All seven CMS runners now place in the top 25 in program history, with six setting personal bests on Saturday. Miles Christensen moved up to seventh with his time of 24:34.9, moving one spot ahead of Van Schendel. Hassman now places 16th, Kimball 18th and Wilkinson 23rd. Senior Daniel Sealand, an alternate on the team this season, also ranks 20th all-time.  

Steinberg graduates with All-America honors and an NCAA West Regional Championship in his final season, taking a gap year during COVID to come back for his final campaign, while Pick and Christensen will be among the key runners back next season to try to lead the Stags to another top-10 finish.