With the top seven runners resting up for the Regional meet next weekend, the next seven women's cross country team members got the opportunity to race at the Eastern Conference Athletic College (ECAC) Championship race this past Saturday at Colt State Park. The Jumbos made the most of the opportunity and showed off the solid depth of the squad.
The Jumbos finished an impressive sixth out of 39 total teams with 198 points. NESCAC foes took four out of the top five spots, with Middlebury taking the team title with a near perfect score of 21. Williams and Amherst placed second and third with 72 and 73 points, respectively. Franciscan University (Ohio) came in fourth with 110 points while Colby edged the Jumbos with a score of 195.
Franciscan freshman Nicole Krajewski took the individual title of the field of 276 with a time of 22:21. Middlebury runners took six out of the next seven spots, with Williams' frontrunner breaking up the pack in sixth.
Leading the way for the Jumbos was freshman Madeleine Carey at 24:04, good for 29th place. Senior tri-captain Jennifer Yih was next in 34th with a time of 24:15. Finishing back-to-back in 39th and 40th were sophomore Mary Sypek and senior Christy Loftus with times of 24:22 and 24:28, respectively. Rounding out the scoring for the Jumbos, in 56th place, was junior Bryn Kass in 24:49.
As the last race of the season for most of the competitors and the last cross country race of their collegiate careers for the seniors, there was definitely extra motivation.
"Going into the race, I knew I wanted to finish cross country on a good note, knowing I put it all on the line," Yih said. "After NESCACs, I really wanted a good performance to wrap up my season. I knew it was going to be the last time it was going to feel this way in a cross country race."
Even for non-seniors, there was motivation to end the season on a strong note.
"I didn't really trust my strength or speed at the end because I didn't have a lot of strong performances to draw confidence from," Carey said. "But after this, I think I'll have that going forward. It was great to have a strong finish."
The nature of championship races always brings out something extra in the athletes. With only seven runners on the line, the women were more invested in each other's races, knowing that each of their places were important.
"Everyone was really excited and supportive of each other," Carey said. "We all wanted to go out and give it our all. The atmosphere at the starting line was definitely different this weekend."
After the NESCAC Championship, which turned out to be little more than a mud run, the Colt State Park provided some different challenges.
"The start was challenging because it narrowed down so fast," Carey said. "I went out hard and was surprised to be up in the top 20 at the beginning."
Other than the top pack, the majority of the field was conservative for the first part of the race.
"I think the course boded well for middle-distance runners," Yih said. "I felt like the race went out pretty slow, but I was still in a good position and was really able to pick it up over the course of the race."
Going into Regionals next weekend, the Jumbos will look to beat the teams that have edged them the past few weekends.
"We were pleased with sixth this weekend, except that Colby beat us by three points," Yih said. "They have beaten us for trips to Nationals in the past few years. Hopefully, we can beat them next week."
The momentum that the Jumbos built this weekend should give the Regionals squad some confidence going into their race on Saturday.
"Trying to qualify for nationals is definitely a goal," Carey said. "It will be a challenge though. It would be great if the team can finish the season on a high note and all seven competing have solid races."
Williams will host the Div. III Regional Championship next Saturday, with Nationals bids on the line.
