Grace Connolly, Sophia Kennedy_Stanford Women’s Cross Country_JT_090123641

TFRRS Performance Profile

Career Accolades

  • All-West Region XC (2023)
  • Three-time West Region XC team champions (2021, 2022, 2023)
  • Pac-12 XC team champions (2020-21)
  • Stanford Athletics Board Donald Kennedy Award (2024)
  • Six-time USTFCCCA All-Academic (XC 2020-21, 2023; T&F 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
  • Nine-time Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll (XC 2021, 2023; T&F 2021; winter 2022, 2023, 2024; spring 2022, 2023, 2024)

As a Graduate Student (2023-24)
Outdoors

  • Advanced to NCAA West Prelims in the 10,000
  • Season best 10,000 time of 33:39.26 came at the Payton Jordan Invite 
  • Stanford Athletics Board Donald Kennedy Award
  • USTFCCCA All-Academic
  • Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll

Indoors

  • Ran personal best 3,000 of 9:17.79 at Terrier Classic
  • Season best 5,000 of 16:11.17 came at the Ken Shannon Invite
  • Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll

    Cross Country * NCAA West Region Champions
  • All-West Region
  • Best finishes in conference (18), region (21), and NCAA championships (98)
  • Stanford's No. 4 runner at Pac-12 and NCAA championships
  • USTFCCCA All-Academic
  • Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll

As a Senior (2022-23)
Outdoors

  • Ran 33:19.28 in the 10,000 at the Stanford Invitational for No. 8 on Stanford's all-time list
  • Advanced to the NCAA West Prelims in the 5,000 and 10,000
  • Set personal bests in the 10,000, 5,000, and 1,500
  • Team captain
  • Achieved highest Pac-12 finish, placing fifth in the 10,000
  • Earned highest NCAA West Prelims finish, placing 22nd in the 5,000
  • USTFCCCA All-Academic
  • Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll

Indoors

  • Ran season 5,000 best of 16:06.27 to place fifth at the Ken Shannon Invitational
  • Clocked 3,000 PB of 9:23.01 at the Razorback Invitational
  • Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll

Cross Country * West Region Champions

  • Stanford's No. 5 runner at NCAA Championships
  • Placed 35th at Pac-12 Championships

As a Junior (2021-22)
Outdoors

  • Advanced to the NCAA West Prelims in the 10,000
  • Ran 10,000 PB of 34:09.79 at the Stanford Invitational
  • USTFCCCA All-Academic
  • Pac-12 Spring Academic Honor Roll

Indoors

  • Ran 3,000 PB of 9:29.03 at the Pac-12 Invitational
  • Pac-12 Winter Academic Honor Roll

Cross Country * West Region Champions

  • Placed 33rd at NCAA West Regionals, helping Cardinal to team title
  • Team's No. 6 runner at NCAA Championships, contributing to sixth-place finish
  • Team's No. 5 at Pac-12 Championships
  • Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll

As a Sophomore (2020-21)
Outdoors

  • USTFCCCA All-Academic
  • Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll
  • Advanced to NCAA West Prelims in the 5,000 and 10,000
  • In her 10,000 debut, placed eighth at Pac-12 Championships in PB 34:15.92

Indoors

  • Did not compete

Cross Country * Pac-12 Champions

  • USTFCCCA All-Academic
  • Stanford's No. 7 runner on Pac-12 championship team
  • Placed 181st to help Stanford place third at NCAA Championships
  • Made collegiate cross country debut with 35th-place finish at Florida State Winter Classic as team's No. 5 runner

As a Freshman (2019-20)
Outdoors

  • Season canceled

Indoors

  • Made collegiate debut at the UW Preview, running the mile in 4:53.55
  • Seventh in the 3,000 at the MPSF Championships, in a PB 9:29.73

Cross Country

  • Did not compete

Prior to Stanford

  • Three-time Massachusetts Gatorade Girls Cross Country Runner of the Year
  • Second in the mile – in a best of 4:49.34 -- at the 2018 New Balance Outdoor Nationals
  • Ninth at the 2016 Foot Locker nationals
  • A three-time Massachusetts All-State cross country champion
  • Captured the 2018 All-State cross country title by more than a minute in the snow while leading Natick to the state title
  • Third at the 2018 Northeast Regional championship, advancing to the Foot Locker Cross Country Nationals
  • Five-time All-State champion in indoor and outdoor track
  • Won the 2019 All-State two-mile track championship, in 10:44.63
  • At the Coaches' Invitational, ran 10:25 to break Shalane Flanagan's two-mile track record

Personal

  • Parents are Michael and Christina Connolly
  • Grew up running with her mom, Christina, the 1986 Big East outdoor 5,000 champ while at Connecticut
  • Has two younger siblings, Michael and Katherine
  • Donated $2,000 of Gatorade Runner of the Year grant money to Youth Enrichment Services, where she volunteered as a track coach

Career Results

Year Season (Meets) Event Season Best Conf. Region NCAA
2023-24 Outdoors (5) 10,000 33:39.26 -- 26 (35:08.49) --
    5,000 17:28.29 17 (17:28.29) -- --
    3,000 9:52.85 -- -- --
    1,500 4:22.75 -- -- --
  Indoors (5) 5,000 16:11.17 -- -- --
    3,000 9:17.79 -- -- --
  Cross Country (6) 6K 19:54.2 18 (19:54.2) 21 (20:04.1) 98 (20:40.5)
    5K 16:51.4 -- -- --
2022-23 Outdoors (7) 10,000 33:19.28 5 (33:33.69) 31 (33:45.76) --
    5,000 16:01.72 -- 22 (16:05.16) --
    1,500 4:21.99 -- -- --
    3,000 9:45.13 -- -- --
  Indoors (5) 5,000 16:06.27 -- -- --
    3,000 9:23.01 -- -- --
  Cross Country (5) 6K 20:11.9 35 (20:11.9) -- 136 (20:50.6)
2021-22 Outdoors (6) 10,000 34:09.79 10 (34:10.90) 37 (35:16.86( --
    5,000 16:53.69 30 (17:07.14) -- --
    3,000 9:47.47 -- -- --
  Indoors (4) 3,000 9:29.03 -- -- --
    5,000 16:35.12     -- -- --
    DMR 11:22.44 -- -- --
  Cross Country (5) 6K 20:40.4 33 (21:46.4) 33 (20:40.4) 159 (20:51.1)
2020-21 Outdoors (6) 10,000 34:15.92 8 (34:15.92) 24 (35:13.18) --
    5,000 16:11.49 14 (16:21.00) 32 (16:46.92) --
    3,000 10:00.23 -- -- --
    1,500 4:23.88 -- -- --
  Indoors (0) -- -- -- -- --
  Cross Country (4) 6K 20:44.0 35 (20:44.0) -- 181 (22:11.6)
2019-20 Outdoors (0) -- -- -- -- --
  Indoors (3) 3,000 9:29.73 7 (9:29.73) -- --
    Mile 4:53.55 -- -- --
  Cross Country (0) -- -- -- -- --