In just her second race of the season, senior tri-captain Cat Beck took ninth in the Open New England Championships on Saturday and left more than 300 Div. I, II and III runners in the dust. Literally.
After running unattached last weekend at Keene State, Beck made her official return to the women's cross country team, running 18:33 and helping the Jumbos to a 14th-place finish in a field of 44 teams at Open New England Championships at a very dusty and dirty Franklin Park course in Boston.
"I was very happy with my race," Beck said. "It was definitely very scary to get out there, but I knew in this instance I just had to let everything go and focus on the race so I'd be prepared for whatever. I think I was pretty successful with that, which was exciting and encouraging."
The course itself, usually conducive to faster times, proved trickier to navigate this weekend on account of the dust and heat. The conditions, along with the physical features of the course, proved a challenge for many of the region's top runners.
"The first mile is actually pretty quick," freshman Stephanie McNamara said. "It's on the second and third loop that there are a couple little hills. One in particular is a long, gradual incline that you have to work up and get some momentum going in the first mile. There are a couple girls that usually go out really quickly, so you have to establish yourself and try to conserve your energy in the beginning."
"People tend to shoot out because it's very wide at the start, but it narrows out really quickly so everyone is sprinting," Beck said. "You have to relax ... even though you may be way far out of the race and not in the position you want to finish in, you have to be confident and know that people will come back to you."
Beck's teammates were not far behind, with McNamara finishing in 19:23 and senior tri-captain Katy O'Brien following at 19:35. Jumbo newcomers sophomore Lisa Picascia and freshman Christy Loftus also scored in the race.
"I was basically trying to follow the lead of our captains and upperclassmen," McNamara said. "They've run there many times before, and they know how fast to go out, when to pick it up, and when to try to pass people. They were a huge help, and they definitely gave some great advice that helped in the long run."
"Steph had a great race," Beck added. "I know she was very nervous going into it, but she did a good job of adhering to the race plan. She processed a lot of information really quickly, and that bodes really well for the future of our team."
The Jumbos also used the race to evaluate their opponents before getting into the heart of championship season. NESCAC schools had a strong showing, with Amherst, Williams, Bowdoin and Middlebury all finishing within the top 10. The powerhouse Lord Jeffs looked especially dangerous, with junior Elise Tropiano and senior Heather Wilson leading the way individually in sixth and seventh places, respectively. And with the NESCAC Championships only three weeks away, the Jumbos have their work cut out for them.
"This year Amherst has a great team," McNamara said. "We knew that weeks ago when we saw them at the Dartmouth Invitational, and [coach Kristen Morwick] had their times from before that and knew they'd be a tough competitor. We can only remain positive, but I think we can put up a fight."
For now, the Jumbos will turn their attention to the upcoming Plansky Invitational, held at Williams. The race features a difficult course that the Jumbos will hope to master over the next few weekends, as it will also be the home of both the upcoming NESCAC Championships and ECAC Championships. With the Lord Jeffs taking the weekend off, the Jumbos are hoping to use the added course experience to their advantage.
"Teams will be really eager to look at that course," Beck said. "A lot of us upperclassmen have gone there the past couple years, and the level of familiarity will be really beneficial."
