Women
The highlight of the 2008 Amherst season was certainly senior Elise Tropiano’s runner-up finish at the National Championships as she ran to Amherst’s best-ever individual finish at the meet. Tropiano’s graduation from Amherst will have a significant impact on the women’s team, but the Jeffs are relying on experienced runners and incoming first-years to boost the team to another successful fall.
Sophie Galleher ’10 acknowledged the team’s uphill battle while emphasizing the Jeffs’ capacity for success. “It’s going to be a lot of work to come back from the loss of last year’s seniors, particularly Elise, but people have come into the season energized and ready to work. I think our team has a lot of potential this season,” said the tri-captain.
The season will certainly take a different shape than in 2008, according to tri-captain Christina Wong ’11. “We have a talented but young team, and I think we’ll definitely put together a good season. The expectations are obviously very different because we don’t have as much experience as we’ve had in previous years, but many of the younger runners are already in the mix and I’m excited to see what we can accomplish in the next few months.”
Seniors and underclassmen alike are preparing to step up and fill in the gaps. Gallher is ready to return to the trails to propel herself to her fourth National Championship. Several successful track runners, including Wong, Hallie Schwab ’11, and Melissa Sullivan ’12, will come back from the summer geared up to go along with nationally-experienced Shannon McKenna ’12 and Liza Schalch ’12. The new first-years are also looking promising and are lined up to race into scoring positions.
According to Galleher, the newest additions to the team will prove valuable to the team’s success. “Although we are currently ranked low in the national poll (35th), we have a large freshmen class that will help boost our depth, and it will be exciting to see how they can contribute. We aim to improve our national rank and ultimately qualify for and compete competitively at Nationals.”
Men
The men’s team promises to be one of the best in the region and should not be underestimated nationally, as they hope to secure a NESCAC Championship and potentially break into the top 10 at the National Championships. The Jeffs did not suffer as significant a graduation loss as did the women, with the majority of their top scorers returning. The experience of the returning runners will help propel the team to the regional and national success they are working toward.
“The team is returning a core group of guys, all of whom have been to Nationals at least once. Between us all there is a good deal of experience which I am sure will allow us to have our most successful season yet,” said tri-captain Carlyle Eubank ’10.
The seniors, led by tri-captains Eubank, Eric Holaday ’10 and Daniel Murner ’10 along with Indoor All-American Jimmy Swanson ’10, remain strong and have varying degrees of National Championship experience. Murner, who has previously set school records indoors and ran a 14:39 to qualify for Nationals last fall, will be a leader individually for the team. Track runners Will Bell ’10 and Steve Corsello ’11 hope to carry over successful spring seasons onto the cross-country trails this fall. Incoming first-years will help to build a foundation for the team in future years and lead to successes along the way, as well as contributing at the varsity level.
Eubank seemed confident in the new runners’ ability to complement the returning runners’ experience. “We have a large group of talented freshmen who will no doubt add to the depth of the team if not earn a scoring spot,” said the senior.
The season will start off at home with the Amherst Invitational on Sept. 12 followed by a meet at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth on the 19th. On Oct. 3 and Oct. 10, the teams will compete in the Keene State Meet and the New England Open in Boston, respectively. They will return to Amherst on Homecoming Weekend for the Little Three Championship on Oct. 24, the last meet of the season in which every runner will participate. NESCAC Championships will be held the following weekend, Nov. 1, in Manchester, Conn., followed by the ECAC Championship meet at Williams College on Nov. 7. The teams will then proceed to the NCAA Div. III Regionals meet in Cumberland, Maine, on Nov. 14, and then hopefully onward to the NCAA Division III National Championships on Nov. 21.