On Saturday, Nov. 1, the Cross Country SCIAC Championships in Claremont turned into a Sixth Street battle, as both the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) men and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (CMS) women defended their team titles, while the CMS men and P-P women finished second. Each team secured its respective SCIAC cross-country championships against some of the best long-distance running competition in Southern California.
As the sun rose over Strehle track, the stage was set for a riveting day of distance running, beginning with the men’s 8-kilometer race.
On his home course, Jack Stein PO ’26 led from start to finish, helping the P-P men secure their fifth straight SCIAC title. Stein’s finishing time of 24:33.5 was the second fastest time by a Sagehen ever and the third fastest in the event.
Alongside Stein’s first-rate performance, Amir Barkan CG ’26, Peter Neid PO ’27, Jefferson Wright PO ’28 and Ian Sharp PO ’29 followed close behind, finishing fifth, sixth, seventh and 10th, respectively, all within 25 seconds of each other.
Stein commented on his team’s depth of talent, which has allowed them to be competitive once again this season, despite some injuries that have limited their roster.
“We had some injuries coming into the race — three guys who are usually in our top five are injured or sick,” Stein said. “We knew it was going to be a day where we had to rely on our depth. We have an incredibly deep team. I’m very, very happy with the team performance in addition to my first individual SCIAC championship.”
P-P cross-country head coach Emma DeLira was also delighted with her team’s performance on Saturday. However, like Stein, she emphasized the team’s shift in focus toward the postseason after winning the championship.
“For Jack and the whole team, we’re ready for the postseason … with the whole group itself, we’re putting the pieces together and it’s coming along very nicely,” DeLira said.
The P-P men’s team had a dominant performance on Saturday, displaying their talent and dedication. The CMS Stags weren’t far behind, though, in second place. With two great programs so close together, both in merit and geography, Stein commented on how this fuels a highly motivating rivalry between the two squads.
“There’s a history of both of our programs being great and battling,” Stein said. “Today was a day in the history of the battles between us and CMS.”
With the men’s race completed, it was the women’s turn to put on a show — a show that was also filled with Sixth Street competition and rivalry.
In a role-reversal from the men’s race, it was the CMS Athenas who dominated from gun to tape with the Sagehens close behind, led by Elle Marsyla HM ’26, who finished first overall with a time of 21:39.2 in the 6-kilometer run. Four other Athenas also finished in the top six: Riley Capuano CM ’26 (last year’s winner), Hope Dragseth SC ’28, Sara Wexler HM ’26 and Sadie Drucker SC ’27.
This Athena top five was broken up by Joya Terdiman PO ’26, who finished fourth for the P-P women.
The Athenas are no strangers to excellence at the SCIAC championships, with Saturday’s victory marking their 15th SCIAC title in a row.
After the race, Marsyla spoke about what winning her first SCIAC cross-country championship means to her and the team, especially after having recently recovered from an injury.
“It feels amazing,” Marsyla said. “I actually was injured last season with a stress fracture … so being able to come back from that and feel stronger than ever … It’s a great feeling.”
Each program displayed its grit on Saturday, as neither men’s nor women’s team finished worse than second — a result seldom seen in college cross-country, let alone Division III sports in general.
After the races, Stein was able to reflect on what running has meant to him and what it will continue to mean to him in the future. Despite this being his final SCIAC championship race, he plans to continue improving and challenging himself in the sport.
“Running is a lifelong sport — you can do it your whole life and you get better as you get older,” Stein said. “After college, I will continue to run and push myself to be the best runner I can be.”
The results may speak to each team’s success on the course, but the culture behind it isn’t always recognized. Marsyla expressed her appreciation for the supportive environment that has carried them from one championship to the next.
“We have an amazing team culture,” Marsyla said. “Everyone is so supportive of each other. We have many team traditions that keep our energy happy and strong.”
After the dominant performances at the SCIAC Championships, the CMS and P-P cross country programs are looking ahead to the postseason.
“Our eyes are set on nationals, but [SCIACS] was a fun tune-up,” Marsyla said.
Both teams will next run at the NCAA DIII Cross Country West Region Championships in Claremont, California, on Saturday, Nov. 15, in hopes of continuing their season.
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