Caltech Women's Cross Country progressed in 2024-25 and featured some terrific performances from individual runners.
Senior Sophie Dalfonzo (Fair Haven, N.J. / Biotechnology & Rumson-Fair Regional) made history at just the second meet of the season, setting the program record in the Women's 5k with a time of 18:04.0 at the UCR invitational Sept. 21. She finished in 13th place among over 250 runners, including many from Division-I programs. The record Dalfonzo broke during the race was her own, set in 2023. Dalfonzo's historic run at UCR helped propel the team to a 17th-place finish.
The Caltech women performed well at their next meet as well, the Masters Invitational Oct. 5. The Beavers finished in 13th place overall and third amongst SCIAC schools behind only Pomona-Pitzer and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Dalfonzo earned a top-20 finish individually in the Women's 6k, placing 17th among 100 runners.
Junior Gigi Pistilli (Portola Valley, Calif. / Woodside) joined Dalfonzo in the top 20 as the Beavers opened their conference season at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational Oct. 19. Pistilli finished 16th among 80 runners with a time of 22:53.10 while Dalfonzo finished 10th with a 22:31.70 6k time.
The Pomona-Pitzer Invitational was the precursor to the SCIAC Championships, where Caltech finished in fourth place Nov. 2 in the Women's 6k. Pistilli and Dalfonzo each achieved their highest-place finishes of the season, crossing the line in 12th and 8th place respectively.
Finally, the Beaver women showcased their determination on the regional stage, finishing 12th out of 25 schools at NCAA Regionals in Oregon Nov. 16.
After producing progressively stronger finishes with each meet in 2024-25, the future looks bright for Caltech Women's Cross Country. Keep an eye out for a 2025-26 season schedule later this summer.
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