The victory in the DMR was the highlight of the weekend for the men's team. Senior tri-captain Janak Chandrasoma and juniors Dave Molina, Mike Page and Jack Morgan outran the closest competition by over three seconds with a time of 10:07.71. Molina's opening leg was enough to keep the rest of his teammates ahead of their respective competitors for the easy win. Since their results from the previous weekend qualified them for the Nationals, they will be the only runners from the men's side headed to the NCAAs.
"This is the first Track and Field Nationals for those of us in the men's DMR," said Morgan. "Currently we have the eighth-fastest time in the nation. We expect good competition but are confident in our abilities. We hope to come back with at minimum All-American status, and if all goes well, we'll win the whole damn thing."
John Stanton-Geddes '04 and Page started the next day's races off for the men with a four-five finish in the 1500m. The race was neck-and-neck-Stanton-Geddes finished in 3:59.34 while the third-place finisher came in at 3:59.33. Page ran in on his teammate's heels in 3:59.62.
In the 1000m, Molina pulled in at third place, while senior tri-captain Andy Schneider came in a few spots behind in seventh with times of 2:31.76 and 2:35.76, respectively.
Sophomore Dave Schreiner bounced back from a two-week hiatus due to injury and grabbed fifth place in the 3000m with a time of 9:03.44. The 4x800m relay team of Stanton-Geddes, Schneider, Molina and first-year John Babbott finished fifth in 7:57.40 despite weariness from previous races.
"It was a great meet to end the season. We look forward to a very competitive outdoor season in the spring with a very strong, deep team," said Chandrasoma.
"For the final meet, the team performed exceptionally well," added Morgan.
First-year standout Shauneen Garrahan and junior speed demon Carter Hamill led the women's team with their outstanding individual results. Both women broke school records for the second meet in a row. Garrahan set a new school record, as well as a new meet record, with her 2:54.78 first-place finish in the 1000m. Hamill finished the 1500m in runner-up position with a time of 4:39.12. She broke the school record by over a second and qualified provisionally for the NCAAs in the process. Hamill finished less than one second behind Trinity's Christina Kane, who won the race with a time of 4:38.4.
The previous day, the women's DMR team matched the success of the men's team with their first-place performance. Hamill, Garrahan, Ariel Haney '06 and Ginger Polich '06 teamed up to win their race in 11:57.20. This time set a new school record and also qualified them automatically for the NCAAs. The nearest competition straggled across the finish line over nine seconds behind the Jeffs.
The story of the race, however, was Polich. "[Polich] lowered her season-best time in the half-mile by three seconds," said Dole. "Her performance is remarkable considering that only a month ago she was confined to the pool and bike because of an injury."
Venti agrees with Dole on Polich's post-injury success. "Polich was injured in the beginning of the season and has come back really strong, earning her place on the national relay team," said Venti.
The 4x400 relay squad of Lyndsey Scott '06, Julia Rucker '06, Haney and Garrahan finished in ninth place with a time of 10:49.54. Rucker ran a personal-best time of 61.6 in her leg of the race.
On March 12 and 13, the qualified members of the indoor track team will travel to the NCAA Championship, at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. Chandrasoma, Page, Molina and Morgan will represent the men in the DMR, while the women will send Hamill and Venti to race in the 5000m and Hamill to run with Haney, Garrahan and Polich in the women's DMR.
Last year's women's DMR team finished seventh at Nationals and earned All-American honors. Hamill picked up a sixth-place, All-American finish individually in the 5000m as well.
"Our team is small but very talented-sending five women to Nationals out of the thirteen that competed in regular season meets is pretty impressive," said Dole. "The men are sending a relay team to Nationals as well, and I'm sure it will be fun for the two teams to make the trip together."
The Jeffs begin their spring outdoor season on March 27 at Connecticut College.