BALTIMORE, MD – The third-ranked Johns Hopkins men's and women's cross country teams will close out their regular season this weekend with appearances at two of the most competitive meets: the Connecticut College Invitational and the Rowan Border Battle, both featuring some of the top competition in the nation.
 
The Blue Jays will face one of their toughest tests yet in Connecticut, where they'll toe the line against 11 of the nation's top 30 teams, including four from the current top 10: No. 4 NYU, No. 7 SUNY Geneseo, No. 8 Williams, and No. 9 Tufts.
 
Leading the charge is Emmanuel Leblond, a two-time M-F Athletic National Athlete of the Week, who impressed with a sixth-place finish at the Paul Short Run — the top Division III performance in a field of 354 runners.
 
Seniors Rowan Cassidy and Connor Oiler bring experience and leadership to a talented Hopkins squad, while freshman Anthony Clark, coming off a strong 50^th-place showing at Paul Short, is expected to add crucial depth.
 
The women's field at Connecticut College is arguably even more stacked, featuring 13 of the top 20 teams in Division III — including each of the top five: No. 1 NYU, No. 2 Williams, No. 4 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 5 MIT.
 
Sophomore Carter Brotherton, the Centennial Conference Athlete of the Week, leads the way after finishing 44^th overall — second among Division III runners — at Paul Short. She'll be joined by freshman Mia Kotler, a two-time CC Athlete of the Week, and sophomore Storrie Kulynych-Irvin, as the Jays aim to assert their dominance in a championship-caliber field.
 
In New Jersey, freshman Tyson Bhalla will headline a young but determined group of Blue Jays, supported by sophomore Dane Spahr and a deep lineup of eight more Hopkins runners. The Blue Jays will look to contend with nationally ranked teams such as No. 16 Carnegie Mellon and Emory, as they continue to build momentum heading into championship season.
 
Meanwhile, senior Aisling Callahan will lead a veteran core that includes Emma Kothari and Lydia Tolerico. Together, they'll guide a promising group of freshmen as they take on strong competition, including No. 8 Carnegie Mellon and No. 15 Emory.
 
At the Connecticut College Invitational in New London, the men's race is scheduled to begin at 12:00 PM, followed by the women's at 1:00 PM. Meanwhile, at the Rowan Border Battle in Glassboro, NJ, the women will kick things off at 11:00 AM, and the men will follow at 11:45 AM.