Sports
Cross country excels across the board
By Will Kaback ’20
September 8, 2016
Tags sports
Running hundreds of miles under a beating sun may not be the typical relaxing summer vacation, but for the members of the cross country team, it is all about the end goal. Coming off a season of both individual and team accomplishments, both the men’s and the women’s teams look to use their achievement as a springboard towards bigger and better things. The program hopes to continue fostering a strong work ethic and leadership traits among its athletes—a recipe that has played out well in the past. Along with a core group of returning runners, both teams bring in a bounty of first-year support.
The women’s team has an even mix of key veteran runners, improved returning members, and first-years. Coach Ellen Hull names Lindsay Heyer ’17, Samantha Buttrick ’17, Eliz Perry ’18, Mary Lundin ’19 and Michelle Fish ’17 as both leaders and important contributors. She also points to runners like Lily Pieper ’18, Andy Uribe ’19, Caitlin Anthony ’18, Sarah Dimakis ’17 and Emily Yong ’19, whom have shown marked improvement as testaments of their hard work. The first-year runners joining the team are Courtney Brunet, Julia Davis, Charlotte Freed, Angelica Ramos, Erica Seff and Ellie Williams.
The team gathered momentum during the home stretch last season, including a fourth-place finish at the Hamilton Invitational and second place at the New York State Collegiate Track Conference (NYSCTC) Championships.
Last year, the cross country team placed 16th out of 37 teams at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships. Despite this strong showing, Hull has set the bar even higher this year. She wants to see the team “move up in the NESCAC and Regional Championships.” To do this, she says “leadership will be key.” However, she says the team has “more talent this year” and “good team chemistry.” Members of the team worked tirelessly this past summer in pursuit of Hull’s expectations. This included running between 40 and 60 miles a week as well as regular workouts in the weight room. Apart from purely athletic achievements, the team also boasts an impressive track record of academic awards. Michelle Fish ’17 and Hanna Jerome ’18 were both given Division III All-Academic Honors, which they achieved by earning a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher and a top 25th percentile finish in their regional race. The team was placed on the list of Division III All-Academic teams for the eighth straight year under Coach Hull. It is evident that the team and its coaches have found an ideal balance of academic and athletic pursuits to allow for maximum success, both in the classroom and in competition. As they begin the 2016 season, all signs indicate that these practices will continue.
The men’s team is coming off a fantastic season, competing in the NCAA Championships and winning nearly all of their races under Coach Brett Hull. Most notably, in the regular season they placed no lower than seventh place, which included first-place finishes at both the Hamilton Invitational and NYSCTC Championships. From there, they placed third at the NCAA Atlantic Region Championships, earning them a bid to the Division III National Championship where they placed 21st out of 32 teams. This season, the team was ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Division III Poll as one of the top 35 teams in the country.
The men’s team was recognized for their academic prowess as well. Evan Abelson ’16, David Freeman ’16, Jack Moses ’16, Adam Pfander ’16 and Jack Pierce ’17 were all given Division III All-Academic honors. Additionally, the team made the list of Division III All- Academic teams, also for the eighth time under Coach Hull. Returning runner Henry Whipple ’18 says being a part of the team is “the most enjoyable part of the year.” He notes that he has “learned a great deal not just from the coaches in our program, but from past captains and other peers as well.” Whipple characterized the team as one that “unit[es] around a common goal and relentlessly push[es] forward until it has been achieved.” That shared spirit of competition and camaraderie has carried forward to this year’s team. Whipple says the team chemistry is “impressive,” especially “given the short amount of time we’ve had together.”
The men’s team is returning only three of last year’s top seven and welcomes seven first-year runners. Despite these new faces, Whipple says the team is already “running extremely well in tight groups” and “is being very smart in regards to exerting energy at the right moments.” The future of the team depends on passing down the values of intensity, spirit and smart strategy, which Whipple says that captains Peter DeWeirdt ’18 and Grant Whitney ’17 have helped facilitate. Whipple also named Jack Pierce ’17 and Erich Wohl ’18 as key leaders going forward.
Both the men and women’s cross country teams are taking forward strides in terms of competition, training and chemistry. The program has demonstrated a remarkable knack for producing strong runners who excel both on and off the trail. Each team has a strong base of precedent and leadership to carry it forward and an overall desire for improvement—both big and small—among the players and coaches that creates an overall positive, determined attitude. Thanks to a combination of these factors and more, the upcoming season promises to be one to remember.