PURCHASE, N.Y. — The Pratt Institute men's and women's cross country teams opened the 2026 season on Saturday, competing at the Purchase College Invitational in Purchase, N.Y.
In the women's 4K, Pratt saw four individuals deliver strong season-opening performances with three in the top 25. Sophomore Melis Kavlicoglu (Reno, Nev.) led the way, placing 12th overall in a field of nearly 100 runners with a time of 17:33.0. First-year Merrin Kauffman had an impressive collegiate debut, finishing just two spots back in 14th at 17:46.5.
Sonai Castrillo (Pine Hill, N.J.) added a top-25 result also in her collegiate debut, crossing the line in 19:03.3, and Milla Tenenblat (Hillsborough, Calif.) rounded out the Pratt quartet of finishers in 23:07.3. St. Thomas Aquinas won the team title with 35 points, led by individual champion Mackenzie Donovan (15:27.9).
On the men's side, sophomore Jackson Brock (Vicenza, Italy) represented the gold-and-black in the 6K race. Brock navigated the course in 25:18.9 to finish 52nd overall. The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy claimed the men's team championship with 36 points, while SUNY Maritime's Chase Miller was the individual winner in 19:34.4.
Pratt is scheduled to return to action on Saturday, Sept. 26, at the Golden Eagle Invitational. The meet, hosted by St. Joseph's University-Long Island, will be held at Stony Brook University starting at 11 a.m.
