ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – With momentum on their side and early-season success under their belt, the College of Saint Benedict cross country team is set to compete at the Blugold Invitational, held Friday, Oct. 3, at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax, Wis.

The day's schedule will kick off with the Men's Varsity 8K at 9:30 a.m., followed by the Women's Varsity 6K – featuring CSB's top 12 runners – at 10:15 a.m. Open and unattached races follow throughout the late morning. For live scoring click here

Following the Blugold Invite, Saint Benedict will travel to the George Oja Invitational in Salem, Oregon, on Saturday, Oct. 18, before turning their focus to the MIAC Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Nov. 1 at Highlands Golf Course in St. Paul.

Season Review - 

A Winning Start at Toni St. Pierre
CSB opened its 2025 campaign with a commanding team victory at the Toni St. Pierre Invitational in late September, showcasing their depth and early-season form. Racing at Golden Oaks Golf Club, the Bennies packed seven runners into the top 15 to earn the team title with 41 points, fending off a tough challenge from UW-Stout (53 points) and Northwestern-St. Paul (62). Leading the charge was senior Mary Kenney, who finished second overall in a personal-best time of 19:06.9. The time tied her for 17th on CSB's all-time 5K list and earned her The House/St. Cloud Orthopedics CSB Athlete of the Week honors. Not far behind was first-year Daphne Grobstein, making a splash in her collegiate debut with a fifth-place finish in 19:22.2 — already tied for 32nd in program history. Sophomore Julia Babineau continued her steady rise with a 10th-place finish in 20:04.6, rounding out a dominant top 10 trio for the Bennies.

Solid Showing at St. Olaf Invite
CSB returned to action at the prestigious St. Olaf Invitational, their first 6K of the season, where they placed fifth out of 17 teams in a stacked field that included nationally ranked Carleton and UW-La Crosse. Kenney again set the pace, navigating the rolling terrain to finish 17th in 23:31.6. Grobstein followed with another strong performance, placing 33rd in her first collegiate 6K with a time of 23:47.2 – the 47th-best in CSB history. Juniors Abby Bufkin (61st, 24:36.3) and Julia Babineau (70th, 24:42.9), along with sophomore Mollie Ping (72nd, 24:44.6 – PR), completed the team's scoring five, helping CSB total 163 points. Additional solid performances came from Natalie Zielsdorf (81st), Rachel Olinger (84th), and Anabella Witschen (97th), who all contributed to the team's depth in a field of 189 runners. Carleton claimed the team title with just 24 points, placing three runners in the top eight. UW-La Crosse, St. Olaf, and UW-Eau Claire rounded out the top four, with Saint Benedict holding strong in fifth.