Women’s cross country booked its trip to the NCAA National Championship race last weekend, thanks to a stunning team performance and several key individual performances. One of those key performers was Bea Parr ’25, a first year from Chicago, Ill. One of the major revelations of the season, Parr finished 16th in the mideast regional race, finishing the six-kilometer course in 22:44.5.
It didn’t take long for Parr to establish herself as one of the standout stars in Middlebury’s lineup, as she placed second in her inaugural college race. It was no surprise to see all-star runner Cassie Kearney ’22 cross the line first, but Parr surprised the crowd with her incredible college debut.
Parr also finished second the following week at the Aldrich Invitational, helping the Panthers to their second consecutive win. In a tougher field at the Purple Valley Classic, Parr finished 13th and was yet again Middlebury’s second finisher. The next week, Parr was Middlebury’s top finisher in Kearney’s absence at the Mike Woods Invitational, and then she finished 20th overall at the competitive Connecticut College Invitational.
Despite a number of key performances, Parr saved her most impressive result for the NESCAC Championship race. Finishing seventh in the conference, Parr was the first freshman to cross the line, beating Williams’ Ella Ball by 18 seconds and earning NESCAC First-Team honors in the process. “It was also a really muddy and hilly course,” Parr said. “So I’m really happy I was able to tough it out.”
Given her impressive results, it is no surprise that Parr was sought after by a number of colleges prior to her commitment to Middlebury.
“There was something about this team,” Parr said about the Panthers. “I really liked the team culture, and it seemed like everyone genuinely cared about each other, which wasn’t always the vibe at some other schools. It’s a really fun team to be on with great coaches.”
Although now deeply devoted to cross country, it wasn’t until the summer before her senior year of high school that Parr began to really consider collegiate running as a possibility.
“I only started running track during spring of my sophomore year, and then I started cross country in my junior year,” Parr said. “I actually wasn’t going to run in college until a friend of mine told me I should fill out recruiting forms.”
Parr and the women’s cross country team will compete for the NCAA National Championship in Louisville, KY on Saturday, Nov. 20, at 12:15 p.m.
Charles Crounse '24 (he/him) is the senior sports editor for the Campus. He has previously worked as a writer and staff editor for the section. Charles is pursuing a major in environmental policy and a minor in French, and in his free time he enjoys biking, hiking, and exploring Vermont. He is also a member of the club soccer team on campus.
