HARTFORD, Conn. - The Hartford women's cross country team will stay head down the road for this year's Conference of New England Championships on Saturday, October 31st, at Keney Park. This marks the Hawks' third season competing in the championship, following a fifth-place finish among 11 teams last year with a total score of 154 points. The women will compete in the 6000 meter race, which is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM.
Championship Headlines:
Last week, Hartford competed in the highly competitive Central Connecticut State University Mini Meet, placing sixth out of six teams. Freshman Delaney Casey (Charlton, N.Y.) had a really strong showing as she notched a personal best with an 11:59.8 finish in the women's 3000 meter race. Despite the result, the Hawks look to build momentum heading into conference action. Hartford's strongest team performance this season came at Keney Park in their very own University of Hartford Invitational, where the Hawks placed fourth out of 10 teams. As the Hawks turn their attention to the conference championships, several key runners will look to lead the team with strong individual performances.
Hartford has been consistently led by senior Sophia Rebenciuc (Southwick, Mass.). On October 17, Rebenciuc competed in the Women's 6000m White Race at the Connecticut College Invitational, finishing 13th overall with a time of 22:47.2. She also led the Hawks at last season's Conference of New England Championships, clocking a time of 22:57.82. Since then, Rebenciuc has improved her time by more than 10 seconds, continuing to demonstrate her growth and consistency as a leader for Hartford.
Alongside Rebenciuc, freshman Grace Mitchell (Haddam, Conn.) has been one of many strong first years for the Hawks. Mitchell has found her place within the front runners of the pack multiple times this season. At the UMass Dartmouth Invitational back in September, Mitchell was the second Hartford runner to cross the finish line with a time of 24:42.49. She also had a great race at the University of Hartford Invitational in the 3000m race where she placed 24th overall and marked a time of 12:23.9.
Senior Amelia King (Scranton, Pa.) has consistently been one of the Hawks' top five finishers in races this season. Her strongest 6000m performance came at the Connecticut College Invitational, where she recorded a season-best time of 24:27.6. King's experience will be a valuable asset at the Conference of New England Championships, having competed in the event in 2024 and finished in the 26-minute range. As one of the most experienced runners on the team, King will look to provide leadership and help guide Hartford to a strong championship performance.
The Last Hawk to look out for is sophomore Leah Valentino (Beacon Falls, Conn.) who has been a consistent contributor for Hartford, earning multiple top-five finishes among her teammates. Valentino recorded her fastest time of the season at the Connecticut College Invitational clocking a 24:45.2 in the 6000m race.
Live statistics for the event will be tracked at this link:
https://fat.live/meets/75905
As well as a live stream to the event will be accessible through the following link: https://www.nsnsports.net/conferences/cne/
ABOUT THE CONFERENCE OF NEW ENGLAND:
Originally founded in 1984 as the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC), and reconstituted as the Conference of New England (CNE) in 2024, the CNE is an NCAA Division III athletic conference composed of 10 full member and five associate member institutions throughout the New England region. Its membership aims to provide student-athletes with a positive experience in their pursuit of excellence through high academic standards, quality competition, and a meaningful student life. The Conference administers championships in 20 intercollegiate sports.
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