The 2009 season started off on the wrong foot for the women's cross country team. Top runner Stephanie McNamara, a senior, was injured prior to the start of the season, leaving only two senior runners to lead the squad, neither of whom consistently scored points for the Jumbos. The team pushed on without McNamara at the forefront but has expressed disappointment with the overall results.
"Last year there wasn't anyone to get practices going or to get everyone psyched," senior captain Jen Yih said. "Everyone just did their own thing. There were also lots of random little injuries throughout the season. By the end, some people were racing well and others were just trying to hold it together. We just want to do much better than last season."
This season, sophomore Julia Hajnoczky, an important contributor to the winter indoor track and field team, has already joined McNamara, who suffered a torn labrum in her left hip, on the sidelines after undergoing surgery this summer. Likewise, junior Sarah Boudreau exploded onto the running scene during last year's outdoor track season but is now battling a shin injury.
The Jumbos were displeased with their results at last season's NESCACs, where they finished seventh, and at the New England Regionals, where they ranked 12th out of 47 teams. The Jumbos had a stronger finish at the 2008 New England Championships, ending up fifth overall. Though McNamara is still unable to run for the 2010 season, the team now features a good balance between veterans and rookies and is energized and hopeful for the upcoming campaign.
In addition to senior captains Amy Wilfert, Yih and McNamara, the team gained more than 15 new freshmen and sophomores who seem primed to help the Jumbos get back into top form.
"A lot of the new runners have a chance to make a big impact on the team," Wilfert said. "Their excitement refreshed our feelings in a way; it reenergized everyone."
Wilfert stepped into the role as the team's leading runner last fall in response to McNamara's injury. She earned two NESCAC Performer of the Week awards and was the only female Jumbo to participate in the 2009 NCAA Div. III Championship Race, joined by men's qualifier Jesse Faller (E '10). Despite muddy conditions, she was the 31st runner to finish the 6k course, with a time of 22:46.3. Wilfert, who suffered from hamstring problems this summer, plans to change her focus this season from individual goals to team goals.
"I'm not where I was at the beginning of last season because of the injury setback so we'll see how things progress," she said. "In order to help the team, I need to run my fastest, but I'm definitely going to be less focused on my individual times than I was last season."
The team heads to Maine on Saturday to start off the 2010 season at the Bates Invitational.
"We don't know how we compare to any other schools this season, so it will act as a tune−up for us," Wilfert said. "The actual race is not super−important because we're not racing there again this season, but it'll be critical to see where we stand."
At last year's season−opener, a 4k race hosted by Trinity College, Wilfert helped the Jumbos achieve a second−place finish out of nine teams by winning the race, crossing the finish line an impressive 16 seconds before second−place finisher Michelle Wallace of The College of New Jersey. Juniors Bryn Kass and Anya Price both contributed to the Jumbos' success at the opener by finishing in the top 10 as well.
Heading into this season, which begins this weekend, the captains highlighted the importance of increased leadership and organization on the team in order to see any improvement.
"But with more leadership and more upperclassmen, we're moving in the right direction," Yih said. "People are still getting to know each other. But considering some of us have only been running together for two weeks, people have made really good progress."
