BY JOE WILLENS

In print | September 4, 2008

After completing a rigorous preseason, the men’s and women’s cross country team, led by coach Peter Carroll, are starting what they hope will be a successful season. The runners and the coach hope to improve on last season, when the men’s team finished in fifth place at the Centennial Championships and the women’s team placed four runners in the top-50 at the Mid-east Regional Meet.

Both teams have worked hard to develop their captains as leaders during the preseason. The captains of the men’s team and women’s teams are Erik Saka ’09 and Daniel Hodson ’09, and Kathy Feeney ’09, Faith Pampel ’09, Bess Ritter ’09, and Emma Stanley ’09, respectively. Coach Carroll said of the team captains, “They are just getting the hang of being responsible for more than just themselves.”

The women aim to improve their performance at the Conference and Regional Championship from previous years. The captains expressed confidence that the team has the potential to surpass last year’s record. “We are extremely excited about having a large, talented team this season with great potential and we hope that our depth and enthusiasm will work to our benefit,” Co-captain Stanley said.

While Stanley has goals for the entire team, she also enumerated several personal goals. “[I want to] improve my speed and endurance from last season, significantly contribute to the team, and most importantly, stay healthy,” Stanley said. Co-captain Feeney also emphasized the importance of staying healthy.

Saka said that he has dismissed personal goals entirely because he considers cross country a team sport. However, Saka does recognize the importance of leadership. “Communism could never have reached the glory it rightfully deserved until the advent of Stalinism. In a like manner, Daniel ‘Trotsky’ Hodson and myself will be battling for the loyalty of our ever-massed team,” Saka said.

Saka also acknowledges the need for personal improvement. He bases his training regimen off of Ville Ritola, a Finnish runner who ran long distance events. Ritola is a worthy role model: he won 8 gold medals in the 1920’s.

Saka said he was confident that the cross country team will prevail against its rivals this season. “The Goats will be led to their sacrifice, much as Abraham led Isaac to the altar,” Saka said.

Both teams have trained rigorously for this season. “I would estimate that the majority of us have worked up to around 50 to 60 miles per week over the summer in preparation for the season,” Stanley said.

On August 30, the men’s and women’s teams began their season at the Delaware Valley Invitational. At the Invitational, the men’s team finished eighth overall, and the women’s team finished an impressive second overall.

The women’s team performance was led by Nyika Corbett’s ’10, third place finish overall. Seniors Bess Ritter and Emma Stanley finished in 12th and 13th place, followed shortly by Kathy Feeney ’09, who finished 16th, and Melissa Frick ’12, who finished 17th.

The first to finish for the Garnet men was Patrick Harnett ’11, who completed the race in 29:44.41 minutes. Saka finished 29th and was followed by fellow senior Dan Hodson, who finished in 30:49.28 minutes. David Riccardi ’10 finished in 49th place, and Zach Gershenson ’12 finished in 52nd place. The team will host their first meet on Sept. 12, the annual Alumnae Meet, scheduled to begin at 12:00.

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