A common theme runs through the minds of Wesleyan cross-country captains when considering the upcoming season: optimism. While the departure of several key figures from last year’s squads has given opposing sides reason to expect less this fall, both the men and women remain confident.
“The country is in for a surprise,” said Sean Watson ’08, captain of the men’s squad.
The women lost Ellen Davis ’07, two-time Cross-Country All-American runner, and the men graduated five of their seven top competitors.
“Given the talent we had, [last year] was definitely disappointing,” Watson said. “Everyone in the region is expecting us to drop off the map.”
Indeed, Wesleyan Cross-Country was ranked 12th in a recent New England coaches poll, the lowest the Cards have been since Watson joined the team. The opinion of other New England coaches, however, is not mirrored in the runners.
“We’ve been working like crazy this summer,” Watson said, describing summer training as a necessary step to staying competitive in the world of cross-country. “I’ve never been more excited for a season.”
Watson points to Sam Kurtis ’10, Justin Spring ’10 and Tom Akita ’10 as potentially strong contributors in the coming season. Watson also maintains that the depth of the squad will be crucial. Just as endurance is important in a particular race, longevity over the course of a season ensures consistency and the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Championship. The men’s team has earned a trip to the NCAA Championship two years running, a feat matched by few other teams in New England.
Much of the credit for these impressive showings can be given to Head Coach John Crooke. Entering his eighth season at Wesleyan, Crooke has overseen improvement on both the men’s and women’s teams. Crooke led the women to their first two NCAA Championship appearances in 2002 and 2004, and he has given both sides reason to expect greatness, even if it is not expected of them.
Hannah Hastings ’08, co-captain of the women’s team, shares this expectation.
“I think this year’s team has a lot of potential,” Hastings said. “We have a lot of people who can run together in a pack.”
Though the women’s team lost its top runner, Hastings remains hopeful due to the team’s continuity, as running in a pack provides two great advantages. First, teammates who run together motivate each other to do better. Second, when runners finish in close succession the scoring gap between them is lessened.
The Cross-Country season kicks off Saturday, Sept. 22 at the Wesleyan Invitational. The women start at 11:00 a.m., and the men begin at noon.
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