One of the greatest distance runners in Princeton history will venture out of the jungle and onto the farm next year. Senior Mena Scatchard plans to use her remaining NCAA eligibility at Stanford University beginning this fall.
Scatchard has two seasons of eligibility remaining, not having competed in cross-country in 2021 or outdoor track in 2023. However, the Ivy League does not allow athletes to use any remaining eligibility beyond their undergraduate years. So Scatchard, who has accrued seven school records during her Princeton tenure, will let the record books stand as they are and finish out her NCAA career in sunny California.
Scatchard told The Daily Princetonian that her reasons for choosing Stanford included “the California sun, the super nice and talented team there, and the facilities and racing opportunities there.”
“I visited in January and had the best time. The team there reminded me of the Princeton team, so I knew I would do well there,” she added.
Coming off a second-place finish at the NCAA indoor mile championships, Scatchard was one of this year’s highest-profile transfers. And her move to Stanford signifies the rich getting richer, as Stanford is one of the strongest programs in the NCAA.
Her future teammates include Juliette Whittaker, who placed seventh in the Paris Olympics 800m final, and Sophia Kennedy and Amy Bunnage, who have run 15:00 and 15:10 in the 5000m, respectively. Scatchard, who has a strong range from 800m to cross-country, will be able to benefit from training with athletes of this caliber from both ends of the distance spectrum.
“I’m so excited to train with the girls there,” Scatchard told the ‘Prince.’ “They will be able to push me and challenge my training and racing to new levels.”
Bunnage placed fourth at the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships, leading Stanford to a sixth-place finish, and the Cardinals are primed to again be contenders next season.
“It will be awesome to be in the national XC title contention, and I hope to make a positive contribution to the Stanford team and score valuable points,” Scatchard, who qualified for the cross-country national championships as an individual for the first time this year, said.
While Scatchard has a lot to look forward to next year, she also made sure to emphasize how much her Princeton career has meant to her.
“I have loved my time at Princeton on PUXCTF and would not have changed it for the world,” she said. “Coach Hunt has been amazing, and I have met lifelong friends through the team.”
Scatchard will leave the Tigers having established herself as perhaps the greatest distance runner to ever wear the Orange and Black. She holds school records in the 1500m, mile, 3000m, and 5000m and owns the highest NCAA finish by a Princeton women’s track and field athlete in any event with her runner-up effort this winter.
Stanford isn’t the end of the road, as Scatchard told the ‘Prince’, she would like to see where her running can take her.
“I do plan on sticking with running post NCAA. I love it and want to see how far I can go!”
Luke Stockless is a staff Sports writer for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections@dailyprincetonian.com.
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