The Amherst men’s and women’s cross country teams visited the land of lobster and moose this past weekend, traveling to the Pineland Farms cross country course in Lewiston, Me., for the NESCAC Championships. The men were successful, finishing in third place, behind Williams and Trinity Colleges. The women, however, returned from the upper reaches of the contiguous United States somewhat disappointed. They ended the day with a fifth-place finish that calls into serious question their chances of defending last season’s national championship.
Men
A jolly trio led the men’s cross country team last weekend. Daniel Murner ’10, Eric Holaday ’10, and Will Yochum ’11 all finished within a second of each other near the front of the peloton. “It was pretty fitting,” said Murner. “We’re all best friends off the course, and when I realized we were running together with a mile to go, I turned to these two great guys and said ‘Let’s do it!’”
And do it they did. “It’s actually pretty funny,” explained Murner, who led the trio. “As much as I love those two, I can’t stand their hair. Holaday is notoriously unkempt while Yochum is a bit of a California surfer dude. I had to beat them, if only to restore the pride of properly maintained hair.” The neatly trimmed Southern gentleman did exactly that, covering the 8-kilometer course in 26:18, good enough for 13th place and Second Team All-NESCAC Honors. Holaday finished one place back with the same time, also earning Second Team All-NESCAC Honors. Yochum and his flowing locks crossed the line one second behind Holaday, in 15th place.
Louisiana native Jimmy Swanson ’10, who recently revealed that he feasts on his family’s homemade gumbo before big races, was delighted with Maine’s lobster version of the dish. Lobsterumbo, as it’s called, propelled “Jimbo” to a time of 26:37, good enough for 24th place. Senior tri-captain Harrison Lakehomer crossed six seconds later to take 27th place.
“I really liked the course,” Lakehomer said. “We actually ran on ski trails, and I’m a superb skier, so I was able to take the turns really well.” Rounding out the top seven for Amherst were John “Holy” McGrail ’11 and senior tri-captain Peter Foote.
Ben Klein ’10 may have had the most tiring weekend of all. The junior led Amherst at NESCAC Opens on Thursday, a meet for runners outside the top 12 on each team. Due to an injury that kept Ben Mears ’11 from competing, however, Klein came back less than 48 hours later for another grueling 8-kilometer race, finishing 11th on the team. “Sometimes, I am an animal,” he said.
Women
Senior quad-captain Elise Tropiano churned out another impressive performance, leading the Lord Jeffs to their fifth-place finish. The All-American sauntered through the first three miles before pulling away from the rest of the field. In the last mile, Tropiano put a 30-second gap between herself and her nearest competitor, finishing the 6-kilometer race in 21:49, a Pineland Farms course record.
Tropiano left Maine with a chest full of NESCAC booty. The senior won awards for 2008 NESCAC Most Outstanding Performer, First Team All-NESCAC, and NESCAC Runner of the Week (for the second time this year). Once again, though, the women were undone by their inability to pack it in behind the unflappable Tropiano. Hallie Schwab ’11 was the next Lord Jeff to cross the line. She finished in 31st place with a time of 23:29. It was a breakthrough race for Schwab, who had her best team finish of the season. “It’s been a great week for me,” she said. “Things really got rolling for me recently when I won Valentine’s stir-fry recipe contest with ‘The Schwabster.’ I was able to successfully translate those happy feelings to the running world.”
Zandra Walton ’09 finished one place behind Schwab, with the same time. Caitlin McDermott-Murphy ’09, who has been struggling with IT band problems on and off all season, was the next Lord Jeff to cross the line in 24:03, good enough for 48th place. Rounding out the top seven for Amherst were senior quad-captain Nicole Anderson ’09, Eliza Schalch ’12, and Christina Wong ’11. In the NESCAC Opens, Cara Giaimo ’11 and Mercedes Taylor ’11 chugged their way to impressive third- and fourth-place finishes.
Season Recap
The Amherst men came into this season hoping to make some noise on the national level. Senior tri-captain Peter Foote said that goal still stands. “I think we’ve been underachieving slightly,” he explained. “Repeating as regional champions will be more of a challenge than we thought, but we still have a shot. Likewise, it will take a lot for us to make the podium at nationals; a more realistic goal might be top 10, but we’ll still be pushing for the top three.”
Amherst’s season began well, with a win at the Amherst Invitational and second-place finishes at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational and the Purple Valley Invite. Racing against Div, I, II and III competition at Open New England’s, the men feasted on purple cow, enjoying a three-point victory over the Williams team. The very next weekend, however, the Ephs comfortably beat the Lord Jeffs at the Little Three Championships.
If Mears can return from injury, the men should have a chance to challenge for the Regional crown. The enigmatic Mears suffered one of the most bizarre injuries in the history of running. After struggling with IT band issues, the diminutive sophomore nearly iced himself to death. Mears damaged nerves in his leg, which has made it difficult for him to run. Needless to say, Mears has not taken kindly to his new nickname, “Iceman.”
Head Coach Erik Nedeau is optimistic about the rest of the men’s season. “The emphasis and focus has been on the last two weekends of the schedule,” he explained. “They have done the training and have prepared for big things in the coming weeks and I am excited to watch it come to fruition.”
The women, meanwhile, have had to readjust their team goals. Coming into the season, the ladies had hoped to defend the national championship they so brilliantly earned last year. But after disappointing showings at Open New Englands, Little Threes, and now NESCACs, their priorities have shifted. “You have to learn to adapt and I think everyone is now trying to adjust their goals so we make it to Nationals, and we can do it if we step up,” Tropiano said. “We’re all going to do our best to get our team to Indiana.”
Tropiano has been the brightest spot for the ladies. The senior has absolutely dominated her competition this season, winning four of the six races she’s entered by an average margin of 20 seconds. The levelheaded New Yorker, known for her intelligence on the course, will be a contender for the NCAA individual crown. Tropiano hopes that her teammates will be there to help Amherst to another shot at a team title as well.
“I have every confidence that the women are a very talented team that could make a big impact,” said Nedeau, “even if we are not showing that at the moment. We have had a little bad luck, but every team goes through some adversity and while we may be down, I don’t think we are out yet. If anything, it may very well provide some needed inspiration and fire for the remaining weeks.”
The men and women return to action this weekend for the ECAC Championships. Nedeau will likely sit out some of his top runners so they will be rested for the following weekend’s Regional Championships. The top two teams at Regionals receive automatic bids to the NCAA Championships, while the next three are eligible for an at large bid.