ST. JOSEPH, Minn.  – The College of Saint Benedict cross country team will compete at the NCAA DIII North Region Championship on Saturday, Nov. 15 at the Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax, Wis. The 6,000-meter race is scheduled for an 1 p.m. start. 

A year ago, CSB was 18^th of 31 teams at the NCAA DIII North Regional. Mary Kenney led the way by placing 53^rd (23:32.5).

Fall Review –
Bufkin wins Fall Finale
The fall home schedule ended in winning style for the College of Saint Benedict cross country team, led by a standout performance by junior Abby Bufkin of Colorado Springs, Colo. Bufkin claimed the top spot at the Fall Finale, leading the Bennies to a dominant team victory on their home course. Bufkin clocked a 5,000-meter time of 20 minutes, 10 seconds, edging out two of her teammates in a tight race to the end. Right behind her was senior Meaghan McDonald of Orono, Minn., who finished in 20:20, followed by sophomore Kaline Merges of Rogers, Minn., in 20:34. With their strong trio at the front, CSB secured the team title with 17 points, claiming six of the top seven spots and 11 of the top 20 overall. St. Cloud State followed with 62 points, Gustavus Adolphus with 70, and Concordia-Moorhead with 90. Rounding out CSB's impressive showing, junior Bailey Link (Brush, Colo.) took fifth in 20:36, first-year Addy Giles (Belle Plaine, Minn.) finished sixth in 20:49, and sophomore Erin O'Connor (Chicago, Ill.) placed seventh in 20:55. Seniors Isabel Kraabel (Vadnais Heights, Minn.) and Tatum Leibke (Lino Lakes, Minn.) weren't far behind, taking ninth and tenth with times of 20:56 and 20:59, respectively.

Grobstein earns Honorable Mention All-MIAC at MIAC Championships
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Led by Daphne Grobstein and Mary Kenney, the College of Saint Benedict cross country team raced to an eighth-place finish at the MIAC Championships on Saturday, Nov. 1. The Bennies tallied 202 points behind standout performances Grobstein and Kenney, both of whom finished among the top 36 runners in a deep field of 167 competitors. Grobstein of Golden Valley, Minn., continued her impressive debut season by earning MIAC Honorable Mention honors. She crossed the line in 23:09.8 to place 23rd overall, just shy of her personal best of 23:04.1—already one of the top 20 times in program history. Kenney, competing in her final MIAC Championship, clocked 23:34.7 to take 36th place, adding veteran leadership to the team's solid showing. The day belonged to Carleton College, which claimed its 14th conference title by placing six runners in the top 15 and scoring a dominant 30 points. St. Olaf (80 points) and Gustavus (116) rounded out the top three. Macalester (120), Concordia (129), St. Scholastica (139), Bethel (167), and Saint Benedict (202) followed, with Saint Mary's (255), Hamline (289), and St. Catherine (302)

Six record top 50 program marks at George Oja Invitational
Momentum has been building since early October, when Saint Ben's turned heads at the Linfield/George Oja Invitational in Oregon. Facing a field stacked with NCAA Division I and II programs, the Bennies placed 12th of 31 teams with 369 points — a performance highlighted by six runners breaking into the program's all-time top 50.
Senior Mary Kenney led the charge with a career-best 22:27.8 in the 6K, finishing 58th overall and vaulting to No. 6 on CSB's all-time list. First-year Daphne Grobstein continued her sensational debut season with a 23:04.1 finish — the 19th-fastest time in school history — while junior Anabella Witschen (23:19.6, 29th all-time) and senior Rachel Olinger (23:20.2, 31st) each set personal bests. Sophomore Mollie Ping (23:24.6, 32nd all-time) and junior Abby Bufkin (23:41.9, 46th all-time) rounded out a historic day that saw 22 of 24 Bennies runners notch lifetime bests.

Bennies win Toni St. Pierre Invitational
The Bennies' season opened in winning fashion at the Toni St. Pierre Invitational on September 5. Behind a tightly packed top seven finish, Saint Ben's captured the team title with 41 points, edging out UW-Stout (53) and Northwestern-St. Paul (62). Kenney's second-place run of 19:06.9 marked a new personal best and tied her for 17th on CSB's all-time 5K list, earning her The House/St. Cloud Orthopedics CSB Athlete of the Week honors. Grobstein impressed in her collegiate debut, finishing fifth in 19:22.2 — already tied for 32nd in program history — while sophomore Julia Babineau placed 10th in 20:04.6 to complete the Bennies' top trio.

Holding their own against the region's best
Saint Ben's carried that momentum into a strong showing at the St. Olaf Invitational, their first 6K of the year. Facing nationally ranked teams, the Bennies finished fifth of 17 squads with 163 points. Kenney again led the way, running 23:31.6 for 17th place, while Grobstein followed in 33rd (23:47.2) the 47th-fastest time in CSB history. Bufkin and Babineau came through in 61st and 70th, and Ping closed the scoring in 24:44.6, another personal best.

Building momentum at the Blugold Invitational
The Bennies' steady progress continued at the Blugold Invitational in Colfax, Wisconsin, where they placed 22nd of 36 teams in a 337-runner field. Kenney once again paced the team, clocking 23:34.9 for 41st place. Babineau followed in 24:27.7, good for 112th, while Olinger ran a lifetime-best 24:46.6 to finish 144th.