Cross country gets first win at home
By Jack Barrett, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Thursday, September 23, 2010
Ethan Shaw ’12 took first in the eight kilometer run with a time of 5:28:50, helping secure the Big Green’s victory over Yale.
The men’s and women’s cross country teams had a solid start to the season as both squads emerged victorious in four-team contests against Yale University, Middlebury College and Williams College on Sept. 11. Big Green squads won the Dartmouth Invitational by totaling 25 points, edging Yale by five points. Williams scored 95 points, while Middlebury rounded out the group with 98.
Seven runners competed for each team, with the school’s top five times counting towards their respective score.
The meet was held at Dartmouth, giving the Big Green a competitive edge, according to men’s co-captain Tom Robbins ’11.
“I think we run better on our own course,” Robbins said. “We are very used to running hills in Hanover, and our course is very hilly which definitely gives us an advantage.”
Ethan Shaw ’12 set the pace for the men, finishing first with a time of 25:28:50 to secure the Big Green’s five-point victory over Yale.
Trailing just seven seconds behind Shaw was Phil Royer ’13, while three other Dartmouth runners including Jonathan Gault ’13, Brad Kenimer ’12 and John Bleday ’14, came in consecutively in sixth, seventh and eighth place, respectively. Of the top 10 finishers, Dartmouth and Yale split, with five runners each.
Gault is a member of The Dartmouth Staff.
Robbins said he was pleased with the team’s overall performance, although he did not personally compete in the eight kilometer race.
“Our team did very well,” Robbins said. “We’ve shown that we have a dominant top group that is backed up by strong runners ready to take their place if they falter. The key to winning the meet was a freshman, John Bleday, stepping up into the fifth spot for our team and giving us the edge against Yale. It’s all about having a top five that can place near the top of any race.”
The team’s victory over League rival Yale was especially promising, he said.
“We expect to do as well as possible and surprise a lot of teams,” Robbins said. “We lost quite a few seniors last year, but our new crop is extremely exciting, and I think that an Ivy League championship is not out of the question if we have a great day.”
On the women’s side, Amy Schuman ’11 helped to secure coach Sandy Ford-Centonze’s triumphant return to coaching cross country. Ford-Centonze took over the women’s track and field and cross country coach last month replacing former cross country head coach Maribel Souther ’96. Schuman completed the five kilometer course in 20:23:90, finishing nearly five seconds ahead of the second place runner.
Dartmouth was able to prevail despite having co-captain Lauren Campfield ’11 sidelined due to a strained calf. Campfield said she was pleased by what she saw from her teammates.
“We’re going to turn some heads this year and make the podium at [the Ivy League’s Heptagonal Championships],” Campfield said.
On the women’s side, the top 10 competitors were more balanced than in the men’s race, with finishers from the Big Green, Yale, Williams and Middlebury all among the fastest 10. The final standings reflected a much closer meet than in the men’s race, with Dartmouth taking the win with a low of 43 points while Middlebury followed close behind with 49. Yale handed in a 68-point effort and Williams filled out the field with 73.
Dartmouth’s win was a result of strong performances by their second through fifth place runners, who finished consecutively in the nine through thirteen place positions. Co-captain Lizzie Short ’12 led the way with a ninth place finish in a time of 20:45:94. Abbey D’Agostino ’14, Alexi Pappas ’12 and Bridget End ’14 followed close behind Short.
Adding to the list of impressive times from first-years was 13th place finisher Hannah Rowe ’14 with a time of 20:53:02.
“Running as a pack to push and encourage each other is a big part of our strategy,” Campfield said of the races. “And going out a little bit more conservative in order to finish strong because the hill at the end hits everybody pretty hard.”
Both Dartmouth squads will enjoy a brief repose from competition as they train for their next meet, when they head down to Bethlehem, Penn., for the Paul Short Invitational Oct. 1.