Sophia Kennedy and Zofia Dudek are a force to be reckoned with, pushing each other — and Stanford women’s cross country — to greater heights.
The two Midwest natives — Kennedy a sophomore from Indiana and Dudek a graduate student from Michigan — are on the forefront of the Cardinal’s campaign to the national stage. Together, they’ve helped keep Stanford top 15 in the national rankings all season and led the team to a runner-up finish in its first ACC Championships.
When asked to describe their relationship, Dudek laughed and said, “I bring the chaos. Sophia’s just organized. She’s on top of her s—.”
Kennedy, turning to Dudek with a grin, replied, “You bring out my fun side.”
The duo’s chaotic good energy might be exactly what keeps them inseparable — even during races. In three of the five meets so far this season, Kennedy and Dudek finished consecutively, never more than four seconds apart. Notable performances included a 2-3 finish at the Gans Creek Classic, which secured Stanford’s team win, and a 10-11 finish at the ACC Championships.
“We feed off that energy of pushing each other to be better, in a hand-holding way rather than an aggressive way, which is really special to find,” Kennedy said.
Even in races with large fields, the two can often be seen running shoulder-to-shoulder, stride-for-stride. Their friendship extends beyond the course, too, in practice, team dinners and weekend team adventures.
“It’s really helpful to have someone there, who you know you’ve been training with and is where you’re supposed to be in the race. If you see [they’re] a bit further up, you can try to get there,” Dudek said.
Dudek came into the 2024 season with a wealth of experience, including three consecutive West region team titles and All-American individual honors at the 2022 NCAA Championships. She even served as Stanford’s No. 1 runner for the entirety of her junior year.
Now, in her final collegiate cross country season, Dudek is focused on using that experience to set a positive example for younger teammates.
“It’s just so surreal being the oldest one on the team now because I remember being in her [Kennedy’s] position and having my older teammates lead the way,” Dudek said.
While reflecting on Dudek’s leadership, Kennedy said, “I’ve just been able to really feed off of the excitement and the passion and the happiness that Zofia brings to every workout and every race.”
Kennedy, in just her second collegiate season, has already embodied the passion and composure of an experienced veteran. As the daughter of two-time Olympic distance runner Bob Kennedy, she made her statement near the end of her freshman season, running as Stanford’s No. 3 at the 2023 NCAA West Regional and Championship races. Kennedy carried that momentum into the 2024 season, where she earned her first collegiate cross country win at the season-opening San Francisco Invitational.
This season, both Kennedy and Dudek have shown remarkable consistency in the face of tough competition. However, the duo has eyes on an even bigger prize: a team podium finish at the NCAA Championships.
In the NCAA West Regionals on Nov. 15, the Cardinal — ranked No. 3 in the West — needed a top-two finish to secure an automatic bid to the national stage. For Kennedy and Dudek, their goal in the 40-team show was simple: “get the job done.” Kennedy and Dudek finished 6th and 16th, respectively, to propel the Cardinal to second place, clinching the program’s 32nd consecutive appearance at the NCAA Championships.
With the Championships less than a week away, Kennedy said, “We want to have our best day on the day that matters. And then hopefully our whole team is in the same position together, which is one of the best feelings.”