This weekend, eight members of the Dartmouth men's and women's track and field teams will trek 3,000 miles across the country to compete in the 55th annual Mt. San Antonio College Relays in Walnut, Calif.
The men's team will send John Bleday '14, Jon Gault '13, Dylan O'Sullivan '15, Connor Reilly '13 and Will Geoghegan '14, while Megan Krumpoch '14, Lindsay Walsh '14 and Abbey D'Agostino '14 will race for the women. The event, held at the historic Hilmer Lodge Stadium, hosts 9,000 competitors each year and provides a springboard for many NCAA and Olympic hopefuls.
"The coaches had a meeting and we all sat down and thought through who would benefit the most from coming out here," women's track and field coach Mark Coogan said. "Everyone who is out here deserves to be here."
Walsh, a first-time competitor at Mt. SAC, has high expectations for herself and her teammates.
"We are part of a small group selected from the team to compete," Walsh said in an e-mail. "It is anticipated that the individuals running this weekend at Mt. SAC will secure NCAA regional qualifying standards in their respective events."
The athletes will journey to California a few days prior to competition to acclimate to the weather and time change.
"A six-hour flight is definitely not ideal for our legs, but because we will arrive a few days early we'll have time to recover before our races," D'Agostino said in an e-mail.
Walsh, who will run the 1500-meter, is excited about the event.
"Mt. SAC presents us with the opportunity to compete in a warm weather venue, which is pretty limited in early spring on the East coast," she said. "I am looking forward to racing in nice weather, as well as having the chance to compete against teams that Dartmouth does not normally compete against."
D'Agostino, who will run the 5000-meter, echoed her teammates' enthusiasm.
"It's an opportunity to compete with athletes from all over the country and some international ones too because it's known for good competition," she said.
Walsh feels well-prepared for her upcoming race thanks to Coogan's high intensity workouts and knowledge of race strategies.
"I've been getting some quality training in since our spring break training trip in mid-March to Raleigh," she said. "I also raced at Princeton two weeks ago to prepare physically and mentally for the upcoming meet. I think that race was important in getting the wheels turning again after a brief racing hiatus after the end of our indoor season."
Mt. SAC will mark D'Agostino's first meet of the outdoor season after an extraordinarily successful indoor season. She was named female athlete of the year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association after becoming the first American woman to win both the 3000-meter and 5000-meter in a career at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
"Someone like Abbey can get competition barely anywhere in the United States," Coogan said. "This will be a great meet because everyone tries to get qualifiers here, so there will be a lot of good teams from all around the country."
Regardless of her success, D'Agostino gains confidence from her continual preparation and training.
"My coach always says that routine shouldn't change according to the competitiveness of a meet," she said. "We've done workouts catered specifically for this race. Those will definitely be a source of confidence on the line on Friday."
At last year's Mt. SAC relays, D'Agostino set a then-PR and Dartmouth record in the 5,000-meter with a 15:23.35, eclipsing her old mark by 17 seconds. She finished second overall in a field of professional runners and met the Olympic B' Standard, which brought her to the U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., prior to the London Olympic Games.
This year, D'Agostino has even higher expectations.
"I'm hoping for some PRs across for all of us, but personally I hope to run the qualifying standard for a meet this summer, which would mean a PR in the 5k for me," she said.
Walsh emphasized her desire to compete well against her contenders and run a smart race.
"I also hope to run a 1500-meter time that will gain me entrance into the NCAA Regional meet in Greensboro," she said. "If I can accomplish these goals, I will be very satisfied flying back home."
Coogan's goal for the athletes competing this weekend is simple: run fast.
"This meet is not necessarily about beating other competitors, it's about running fast," he said. "So my goal for the athletes this weekend is just to run fast and get some PRs".
Gault is a member of The Dartmouth senior staff.
