PASADENA, Calif. — Caltech Athletics officially announced the 2024 men's and women's cross country schedules on Wednesday.

The two squads will look to top their superb 2023 seasons as they take on a number of high-level invitational meets from August through October before turning towards the postseason in November.

Among many highlights from last year's men team was a a third place result at the SCIAC Championships — their highest finish in 41 years — and a sixth place result at the NCAA West Regional Meet with the squad running the fastest average 8K in program history (25:48). Individually, Rohun Agrawal (Cupertino, Calif. / Monta Vista) and Joey Litvin (Ardmore, Pa. / Lower Merion) earned First Team All-SCIAC with Agrawal placing runner-up out of 131 and Litvin earning 10th at the conference meet. The duo received All-Region distinction at the West Regional; both athletes qualified and competed at the NCAA National Championships.

The Caltech women also posted an excellent 2023; notably, it was the fifth straight season in which the team nabbed fifth or higher at the SCIAC Championships and the fourth straight season in which at least two Beavers secured All-SCIAC. Three Beavers collected the honor this past year for their top-20 conference meet performances; Sophie Dalfonzo (Fair Haven, N.J. / Biotechnology & Rumson-Fair Regional) and Gigi Pistilli (Portola Valley, Calif. / Woodside) recorded blazing times at the meet, putting their names at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, on the program's all-time 6,000-meter record board.

Head coach Kelli Blake and the teams will open their 2024 campaigns at the Aug. 31 Mark Covert Classic in Brea against athletes from all divisions before Caltech takes on the Sep. 21 UC Riverside Invitational, where last year the Caltech men collected sixth place among 19 teams in the open race and third among Div. III competitors. The women's team earned ninth out of 21 in the open race and finished as the fourth-fastest Div. III squad.

A number of Beavers will then compete at the NCAA Pre-Nationals Invitational in Indiana on Oct. 4 as they tackle the same course to be used for the NCAA National Championships. Last season, the Beaver men finished just four places behind a nationally-ranked opponent; the women placed 23rd in a loaded field. The meet played a vital role for Agrawal and Litvin, who both later qualified for the NCAA Championships and used their race experience from Pre-Nationals at the championships.

A number of other athletes will compete at The Master's Invitational in Santa Clarita on Oct. 5. In 2023, the women placed sixth out of 16 programs at the invitational; they were third among all Div. III schools. Individually, it was a historic day for Dalfonzo and Pistilli, who cemented their names at No. 4 and No. 5 all-time on the program's 6,000-meter record board. The men's team earned 13th and fourth among Div. III schools at the meet; it was a historic day for Agrawal, who set a new program 8K record at 24:47.6.

Caltech will wrap its regular season at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational on Oct. 19 before turning towards the postseason on Nov. 2, as Caltech competes at the massively-important SCIAC Championships in Brea. Last year, the men earned third — the program's highest finish in 41 years — with Agrawal placing runner-up and Litvin earning tenth, giving them First Team All-SCIAC distinction; the top five men set the program's fastest-ever average 8K time with a new record of 26:02. The women just missed out on a top-three spot with a brilliant showing, nabbing fifth place overall in a tightly-contest race with Pistilli, Dalfonzo and Katy Chu (Los Gatos, Calif. / Saint Francis) all earning All-SCIAC honors by finishing 16th, 18th and 20th, respectively.

After the conference meet, the groups will turn its focus on the NCAA West Region Championship in Portland, Oregon on Nov. 16 as Blake's athletes look to qualify for the NCAA National Championships. One year ago, the men destroyed their fastest average 8K set two weeks earlier with a 25:48 performance and a sixth-place result — their best in recent history. Agrawal finished sixth and Litvin placed 16th out of 172, giving them All-Region distinction as they qualified for the NCAA National Championships. The women nabbed 11th at the regional meet in another tight race, just missing out on a top-10 finish.

The NCAA National Championships will occur on Nov. 18. Last year, Agrawal claimed 88th overall and 19th among individuals who did not qualify via a team, crossing the line at 25:37.7. Litvin finished in 137th (25:56.3), firmly in the top half.

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Schedule Breakdown:

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2024 Caltech Women's and Men's Cross Country Schedule:

Date	Time	Meet	Location
Aug. 31 (Sat)	8:00 AM	Mark Covert Classic	Brea, Calif.
Sep. 21 (Sat)	7:30 AM	UC Riverside Invitational	Riverside, Calif.
Oct. 4 (Fri)	TBA	Pre-Nationals Invitational	Terre Haute, Ind.
Oct. 5 (Sat)	8:30 AM	The Master's Invitational	Santa Clarita, Calif.
Oct. 19 (Sat)	7:45 AM	Pomona-Pitzer Invitational	Claremont, Calif.
Nov. 2 (Sat)	TBA	SCIAC Championships	Brea, Calif.
Nov. 16 (Sat)	11:00 AM	NCAA West Region Championship	Portland, Ore.
Nov. 23 (Sat)	11:00 AM	NCAA Championships *	Terre Haute, Ind.