Last weekend, the men and women’s cross country team ran the annual Little Three Championship meet at Amherst College in Amherst, MA. This trio is notoriously competitive throughout all sports and but in cross country, rivalry has not always reflected parity. Williams in particular has consistently dominated the NESCAC conference, which only made Wesleyan and Amherst hungrier for a W over the Ephs this weekend. Indeed, Both cross countries haven’t outrun the defending champion Ephs since 1987. Amherst has given Wesleyan similar difficulties in cross country history, but their squad’s efforts simply do not compare to Williams’ coveted control of the Little Three and NESCAC competition.
This weekend’s races took place on Amherst’s rolling hill course, framed by a classic New England fall background. Tensions were high and matched the expectations of all the runners and coaches. Both Wesleyan teams have compiled an impressive and record-breaking season thus far, with the men’s team’s recent national ranking standing out as a top achievement. However, despite positive attitudes and impressive work ethics, Wesleyan’s rivals are still tough as nails and some of the top competition in the country, and they, especially Williams ultimately proved too talented to handle this weekend.
On the men’s side, Amherst entered the weekend ranked second nationally, with Williams following in the seventh spot. For their part, the Cards hold an impressive and historic spot at 22nd. The Williams coach recalled the matchup this past weekend at Amherst as potentially one of the most competitive Little Three Championships in recent memory, with Williams edging Amherst 27-32. Wesleyan lagged far behind in 3rd with 77 points. Amazingly, Williams’ victory marked its 28th consecutive Little Three title. Much to the dismay of the Lord Jeffs, a higher national ranking did not pave the way to victory. Wesleyan senior Taylor Titcomb finished seventh in the 8K run with a time of 26:34. The next Cardinal finisher was Eric Arsenault ’17, who placed 19th.
“We got completely stomped, which was humiliating, but it’s not the end of the world,” said senior runner Keith Conway ’16. “Sometimes getting your ass kicked is good in the long run. We just need to get back to grinding for these next five weeks. There’s a lot of running and sweating still out there for us, and we are always up for it.”
Wesleyan women’s team also struggled, tallying 69 points to Amherst’s 59 and Williams’ 15. The Williams squad ranks second nationally and Amherst ranks 28th. Wesleyan’s women are still working their way up into the national standings, and neither the Cards nor the Lord Jeffs could get near the Ephs, who took first through sixth, and eighth.
This past weekend marked the conclusion of an exhausting week of practice, and the team went into the weekend’s races without one of their top runners, Christina Hebner ’17, who was sidelined due to injury. Molly Schassberger ’17 led Cardinal participants in the 5K run with a 10th-place finish, posting a time of 20:01.
Despite a tough weekend, losses have yet to silence the girls’ optimism and drive. As has been emphasized throughout the season by many of the women, the Cards expect their young team to only improve from here.
“This weekend was a tough day for a lot of the women’s team, but we’re still really excited about NESCACs, and are definitely looking to get our legs back under us,” Schassberger said.
Luckily, this past weekend was not the last time the Cardinals will face Williams and Amherst this season. Both squads will square off against their Little Three rivals at the 2015 NESCAC tournament on Halloween weekend. This year, the tournament will take place at Wesleyan’s home course, putting the Cards at a decisive advantage.
“Having the NESCACs at home is huge,” Conway said. “It is definitely considered a hard course by NESCAC standards, but it’s home field advantage for us, and it should be a bloodbath. It’s high time for us to step up and it will definitely be the perfect way to kick off championship season.”
The two teams will still have their work cut out for them: out of the 11 NESCAC men’s teams, seven are ranked among the nation’s top 35 teams. Five of the NESCAC’s women’s teams are also ranked top 35 in the country. However, being among the best only pushes the Cardinals to be the best, and Wesleyan runners are embracing the pressure with open arms. The teams have been on an uphill climb the past few seasons and are determined to show it come Halloween weekend.
“We saw some great competition from Amherst and Williams, but we’re looking forward to facing even more teams at NESCACs,” Schassberger concluded. “We can’t wait to see how we shape up again the rest of the conference, and it will be nice to have the home field advantage.”