Two Named Freshmen of the Week

STANFORD, Calif. — Following successful outings at the Nuttycombe Invitational last Friday, Stanford freshmen Amaya Bharadwaj and Sean Fries have been tabbed the conference male and female Freshman of the Week, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) announced Tuesday. Both runners earn the accolade for the first time in their careers while the two snag Stanford’s first weekly ACC nod since Hanne Thomsen was named the Women’s Freshman of the Week last September.  

Bharadwaj has had a strong start to her career on The Farm, turning in a top-50 performance at last Friday’s meet, finishing in 43rd overall. Bharadwaj secured a personal-best time of 20:12.6 during her third collegiate race and snagged a top-50 finish after climbing 11 spots in the final two kilometers. The Palo Alto, Calif., native helped guide Stanford to 12th overall in one of the deepest fields this season. The freshman has earned two, top-10 placements this season and has yet to finish a collegiate race outside the top 50 entering into the final meet of the regular season this weekend. 

Fries has also been strong for the Cardinal in his first year on The Farm, slotting in as Stanford’s third scoring harrier last Friday with a personal-best time of 23:36.1. Fries hit the two-kilometer point in 195th and climbed up 132 spots during the race, ending his afternoon in 63rd overall. Fries, who has placed in the top 70 in each of his three races this season, helped Stanford to eighth overall on Friday. 

Stanford is back in action this weekend, sending a contingency to the Bronco Invitational on Saturday, October 17.