Hosting the NESCAC Championships this weekend, the men and women’s cross-country teams raced to third and sixth place finishes respectively against nationally ranked competition. Despite a muddy course and a cold day, fans lined the Long Lane Farm Course to cheer on the Cardinal runners.
Ellen Davis ’07 led the women’s team with a 3rd place (18:11) finish in the most competitive Division III conference in the nation. Davis ran in a pack with 2003 NESCAC champion Shauneen Garrahan of Amherst and 2004 champion Caroline Cretti of Williams. Lucia Pier ’08 (19:16) ran another solid race and was the second Wesleyan runner to cross the finish line. Co-captain Erin Smith ’06 (19:21), Delia Springstubb ’08 (19:41), and Anna Schindler ’09 (20:05) followed close behind. Co-captain Cara Chebuske ’06 (20:40) and Megan Kretz ’07 (20:51) rounded out the top seven runners for the cardinals.
Freshman Kora Shin ’09 emphasized the importance of spectators at Saturday’s race. “The cheers were just overwhelming as I crested the steep hill in the second mile. Our fan base definitely offered a source of support and inspiration when things got tough.”
Overall the women’s team ran well and finished right in the middle of the NESCAC conference with a 6th place effort. The five teams that placed ahead of the Cardinals are all ranked among the top 11 teams in the country in Division III. This performance will likely place the Wesleyan harriers in the Top 25 nationally.
“The team has run solidly for the past two weeks,” Kretz said after the race. “We were only expected to get 7th or 8th place today, but we’re stronger than everyone thinks and earning a spot at nationals is at the forefront of all of our minds.”
Kora Shin ’09 and Liz Wheatley ’09 will run at the ECAC championships at Connecticut College this weekend, while the varsity women will have two weeks off before Regionals.
On the men’s side, Wesleyan was led by co-captain Owen Kiely ’06 and grad student Wes Fuhrman who took the field out in 9:55 through two miles. Kiely hammered the later miles, breaking the field except for William’s Neal Holtschulte, the favorite to win Nationals later this month. Despite losing to Holtschulte, Kiely finished second in 25:23 while Fuhrman placed sixth in 25:37. Both earned All-NESCAC honors along with Jon King ’07 who moved up through the field and crossed the line in 26:15, good for 12th.
“I went for it,” Kiely said after the race. “I made my move and only Holtschulte was able to come with me. But we have two races left in the season, and who knows what will happen.”
Anda Greeney ’07 also moved up well through the field finishing 34th in 26:45 while Mike Brady rounded out the scoring five for the team finishing 46th in 26:59. “Wes, Owie and Jon all did what they had to do for us today,” Greeney said. “But to ensure a berth to Nationals, Mad Dog [Brady] and I need to be in the top forty at Regionals in two weeks.”
Matt Shea ’08 used his mid-distance speed in the last mile to finish 59th in 27:23 and Sean Watson ’08 also unleashed a ferocious kick, finishing 72nd in 27:37, closing out the varsity seven for the Cardinals.
When the dust had settled on the Long Lane course, Tufts and Williams had handily defeated the team. But the Cardinals are still ranked third in the region and in the top 25 in the country, with three teams earning a berth to Nationals.
“Mainly we have to worry about Keene State and Bowdoin to beat for Nationals,” Fuhrman said. “Keene State has a rich tradition of attending NCAAs and always stepping up at the right time, while Bowdoin proved it’s also legit, with a pretty strong performance this past weekend.”
Earlier this season the Cardinals handily defeated Keene State at the New England Open Championships and defeated Bowdoin on Saturday, in the first meeting of the teams this season.
Next week, both teams will rest their top 7 while sending their second seven runners to Connecticut College for the ECAC Championships. On the men’s side, Wesleyan is the second-deepest team in New England behind Williams and should be able to mix it up against other team’s varsity squads that include Vassar and Bates.
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