Stags Cross Country Opens With Third-Place Finish at Mark Covert Classic

BREA, Calif. - Adam Sage (fourth) and Oliver Pick (eighth) had top-10 finishes as the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps men's cross country team opened the 2023 season with a third-place finish at the Mark Covert Classic, finishing behind only Division I programs California Baptist and host CSU Fullerton at Carbon Canyon Park.

Sage finished in 24:32.1 to come in fourth place behind only three runners from CBU, while Pick finished in 24:42.4 to come in eighth place. 

California Baptist finished with 23 points, and CSU Fullerton had 63, with CMS not far behind with 78 points, just edging out the Master's University with 79 points in fourth.

All five of the CMS scorers finished in the top 30, as Nik Taubenheim crossed the line in 25:18.0 to come in 26th, Charles Albach finished in 25:19.9 to come in 27th and Andrew Blelloch, who missed all of last season with an injury, scored in his first race back with a 25:24.1 to come in 29th place. 

It was actually only the second race of Blelloch's career as he debuted in the SCIAC Championships as a first-year in 2021 after missing the first two months, then missed his entire sophomore season. 

Blelloch crossed the line in a virtual tie with Hayden Beauchemin, who earned a time of 25:24.4 to come in 30th. Hale Behan (25:37.7, 37th) and Daniel Fajardo (25:48.3, 49th) were also in the top 50 (out of 137 runners). 

CMS will be in action in two weeks when it travels to the UC Riverside Invitational.