EARLYSVILLE, Va. – Stanford senior Ky Robinson placed third at the NCAA Cross Country Championships and led the Stanford men to eighth on Saturday on a sunny warm day at Panorama Farms.
The Stanford women, led by freshman Amy Bunnage in 59th, placed 12th.
This was the 22nd time that both the Stanford men's and women's teams placed among the top 12 in the same year. It also marked the 10th consecutive top-10 finish for the Cardinal men.
Stanford's women's team (l. to. r.): Lucy Jenks, Riley Stewart, Amy Bunnage, Grace Connolly, Abi Archer, Zofia Dudek, Sophia Kennedy.
Robinson, the Pac-12 and West Region champion, took the lead from Harvard's Graham Blanks and New Mexico's Habtom Samuel with just over two kilometers to go in the 10K (6.21-mile) race along rolling hills. Even then, however, Robinson knew his chances were slim.
"My legs were shot," he said. "I think the bluff lasted for maybe 200 meters and then they realized, Hey, this guy doesn't want to run fast and they took over and I wasn't able to go with. I was swimming out there."
Robinson was passed shortly after, but hung on for third – a small victory.
After a 10th-place finish last year in Stillwater, Oklahoma, Robinson earned his highest finish at this race and his second All-America honor in cross country. He crossed the line in 28:55.7 – 18 seconds behind Blanks in first.
"I'm pretty happy," Robinson said. "It's the best I've ever done. I wanted to finish higher, but third place is still pretty good."
Robert DiDonato, a sophomore in eligibility, finished as Stanford's No. 2 runner, his highest finish among the team since the 2022 USF Invitational, a low-key season-opening meet in which most of the team's top runners did not compete.
DiDonato was 49th in 29:59.3, just nine places from his first All-America honor. Freshman Lex Young was next in 74th, followed by Cole Sprout in 95th and Evan Burke in 129th. Stanford scored 291 points and was the top team from the Pac-12 Conference.
The top five Stanford women finished among 34 seconds of each other over the 6K (3.73-mile) course. The Cardinal scored 357 points and were third among Pac-12 teams.
Bunnage was within the large lead pack after the first 1K, before Florida's Parker Valby quickly distanced the field. Bunnage, the Pac-12 champion, finished in 20:18.3. Bunnage was the seventh freshman.
Another freshman, Sophia Kennedy, was Stanford's No. 3 runner in 95th, behind Lucy Jenks in 93rd, and just ahead of Grace Connolly in 98th. Riley Stewart was next in 128th, followed by Zofia Dudek (177th), and Abi Archer (208th).
Connolly, a fifth-year senior, was competing in her third NCAA Cross Country Championships and earned her first top-100 placing. It was the fourth top-100 finish for Jenks and third for Dudek.
Thus closes the 123rd year since cross country became a sport at Stanford.
Stanford's men's team: Coach Ricardo Santos, Cole Sprout, Lex Young, Ky Robinson, Zane Bergen, Robert DiDonato, Evan Burke, Leo Young.
* * *
NCAA Championships
At Panorama Farms
Winners and all Stanford
Men (10K, 6.21 miles)
Team leaders – 1, Oklahoma State 49; 2, Northern Arizona 71; 3, BYU 196; 4, Arkansas 211; 5, Iowa State 230; 6, North Carolina 249; 7, Texas 262; 8, Stanford 291; 9, Syracuse 299; 10, Wisconsin 330.
Individuals – 1, Graham Blanks (Harvard) 28:37.7; 3, Ky Robinson (Stanford) 28:55.7; 49, Robert DiDonato (Stanford) 29:59.3; 74, Lex Young (Stanford) 30:19.5; 95, Cole Sprout (Stanford) 30:31.4; 129, Evan Burke (Stanford) 30:48.4; 185, Leo Young (Stanford) 31:31.6; 226, Zane Bergen (Stanford) 32:44.6.
Women (6K, 3.73 miles)
Team leaders – 1, North Carolina State 123; 2, Northern Arizona 124; 3, Oklahoma State 156; 4, Notre Dame 237; 5, Florida 268; 6, Tennessee 294; 7, Alabama 314; 8, Washington 323; 9, Arkansas 329; 10, Oregon 335; 12, Stanford 357.
Individuals – 1, Parker Valby (Florida) 18:55.2; 59, Amy Bunnage (Stanford) 20:18.3; 93, Lucy Jenks (Stanford) 20:38.4; 95, Sophia Kennedy (Stanford) 20:38.7; 98, Grace Connolly (Stanford) 20:40.5; 128, Riley Stewart (Stanford) 20:51.9; 177, Zofia Dudek (Stanford) 21:15.4; 208, Abi Archer (Stanford) 21:40.1.