The women's cross country team traveled to Franklin Park for the Codfish Bowl 5k this weekend, where they competed against teams of all divisions and ages. Tufts took fourth place overall with 101 points and were the top finishing Div. III team. NESCAC rival Bates was fifth with 155 points. Taking the team title was Boston University. The Terriers earned it with 47 points, besting the Greater Boston Track Club by three points.
Katie Matthews, running unattached, took the individual crown in 17:38, running away from the rest of the field to win by over 30 seconds. Junior tri−captain Lilly Fisher was the top finisher for the Jumbos, finishing 18th overall in 19:35. The next finishers for the team were senior tri−captain Anya Price in 23rd and sophomore Madeleine Carey right behind her in 24th. The two finished almost simultaneously, at 19:44 and 19:49, respectively.
Sophomore Lauren Creath was just behind them in 19:51, good for 27th place. Wrapping up the scoring for the Jumbos was junior Melanie Monroe, who finished in 37th place in 20:09. Sophomore Laura Peterson, 49th, and senior Kelsey Picciuto, 56th, rounded out the top seven, at 20:26 and 20:33, respectively.
After seeing some quality NESCAC rivals at the Bowdoin Invitational last week, this week gave the Jumbos the opportunity to race the course where the Open New England Championships will be held in two weeks. The conditions of the race also made for a stark contrast between the Codfish Bowl and the Invitational.
Humidity and prior rainfall made for a wet and muddy day, making top times very hard to come by. Because of that, assistant coach Dan Murner was focused more on the efforts of the athletes than their finishing times.
"You throw times out the window because it was abnormally hot and the course conditions were a little sloppy," Murner said. "The team definitely competed well despite the tough course conditions."
Though the mud can make for some tough running and slow times, some runners thrive in these environments. Adverse conditions and diverse courses allow for strengths and weaknesses to be exposed on a weekly basis, with some runners excelling in the mud, while others struggle. The Jumbos' performance showed that they are not afraid of tough conditions.
"We went into the race knowing that the times were going to be a little slow," Carey said. "The conditions made it more about an effort. I actually really enjoy running through mud. It makes it fun and adds an extra element to cross country."
Carey, who finished third for the team, used her extra motivation to fight through the terrain to get off to a quick start and hold on throughout the race.
"I've liked to go out hard in the past, and I've had some success with it," Carey said. "I'm trying to be a little more conservative in general though. Lilly ran a very smart race, going out controlled and finishing really strong, and that's something I'm trying to do as well."
Fisher moved up throughout the race and passed a whole pack of runners in the final mile. Finishing first for the team, Fisher put her experience and fitness on display.
"Lilly had a very good race for us and looked very fit throughout the race," Murner said. "She has been working out very well so far this year and we are really excited about what we think she can do moving forward."
The Jumbos' depth and proximity up front give the team confidence moving forward into the championship season. With many of the top girls finishing within a few seconds of each other, using the presence of one another could create another element of success for the team. So far this season, the Jumbos have displayed their tough mentalities and ability to compete with the region's best.
The squad will take a week off from racing before heading back to Franklin Park for the Open New England Championships on Oct. 8.
