At the New England Division III meet last Saturday, Nov. 10, three Wesleyan runners—Sean Watson ’08, Lucia Pier ’08, and Ravenna Neville ’10—earned all-New England honors. Watson and Pier, both captains of their respective sides, earned a trip to Nationals next Saturday in Minnesota.
Watson finished second overall in the field of 330 runners, with a time of 25:00 over the 8k course. He was a mere five seconds behind Williams’s Edgar Kosgey.
“At least Williams didn’t win,” Watson said. “Williams is the evil empire.”
Williams did finish a close second to Amherst. Those two teams continue to dominate the scoreboards at recent Cross Country events.
Watson couldn’t mask his disappointment.
“We had a lot more talent than we showed,” he said of his team’s results this season. “Definitely a frustrating year.”
Charlie Lang ’11 was similarly disappointed. He noted, though, that as a freshman he had “not a lot of expectations. I’m just glad I got the chance.”
Unfortunately, the chance for a freshman runner to jump right into racing is often borne of injuries. That was the case this season.
“Matt Shea ’08 didn’t run at all [due to injury],” Lang said. “That definitely hurt us.”
Both Lang and Watson remain optimistic for next season, if guardedly so.
“We’re losing [Watson], and no one else,” Lang said.
Watson said that they’re going to have to pick it up a lot, given this season’s results.
“I don’t like developing, I like racing,” Lang was quick to note.
Indeed, Lang and other up-and-comers would do well to imitate Watson’s outstanding race on Saturday.
“I could tell the other guys were working for every second of it, and I was just waiting for it,” Watson said. “And then, with about 800 meters to go, I went.”
Unfortunately, someone went with him. Since Watson had pulled out in front of the leaders’ pack, Edgar Kosgey of Williams drafted behind him for a bit. After that, he made what Watson could only described as “a pretty sweet countermove” to overtake him right at the end.
Watson did earn a chance for revenge at Nationals. “The grass and cart in front [when I was in first] won’t stop haunting me,” he said.
For the rest of the team, though, thoughts move to next year.
“[We’re] returning six of our seven regional runners with a hope for a more experienced team next year,” said David Tassone ’08.
Likewise, although Lucia Pier ’08 and Ravenna Neville ’10 ran races that Watson would later describe as “freakin’ incredible” and “unbelievable,” the women’s team wrapped up a largely disappointing season Saturday.
Fortunately, they’re returning five of their seven regional runners next year. They have hopes of improving in what Tassone called the toughest region for Div. III women.
For now, though, the attention is on Watson and Pier as they endeavor to make All-American honors. To do so, they would have to come in one of the top 35 spots in the race this Saturday.
“You can’t help but have a lot of adrenaline at Nationals,” Watson said.
Many of the Cross Country team members will be making the 20-hour drive out to Minnesota to root for Watson and Pier.
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