Living up to their high pre-season national ranking, the women's cross country team continues to build upon last year's successes behind the strong nucleus of Meegan Larsen '95, Kristin Cobb '95 and Maribel Sanchez '96 and are now ranked as the country's 13th best, a position shared with rival Cornell.
Coach Ellen O'Neil described the team as "more excited than nervous" about their national standing.
She noted that an Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship and qualifying for the NCAAs remain the team's ultimate goals this year, as well as improving on last year's fifth place finish at the Heptagonal Championship.
"If we keep running as we have been, and improving as we have with each race, I think we have a very good chance," Captain Tori Knox '94 said. "Looking at the Ivy results for this season, we definitely belong among the top teams."
The team views the upcoming Michigan Invitational and Heps as the true tests of their ability against other nationally ranked teams such as Cornell, which looms overhead as Dartmouth's primary Ivy League rival.
Despite Cornell's past performance, Dartmouth finds itself in the position of a possible spoiler, as the team views an Ivy League title with more confidence.
"I know that an Ivy Title is definitely realistic," Sanchez said.
This year's freshmen class has already "made an impact and added depth to the team" according to O'Neil.
"Our freshmen are quickly becoming a strong part of the team," Knox said. "They have a lot of spirit and are adapting well to collegiate training."
The season began with an impressive Dartmouth victory over Brown, Boston College and Boston University at the Dartmouth Invitational.
O'Neil stressed that the success of Dartmouth's pack runners must continue, but sees hopeful signs.
"This year, we have three front runners as opposed to one last year," O'Neil said. "We need to have a pack, and we're getting closer as the times continue to improve."
At the BC Invitational the following week, Dartmouth fell to perennial Northeast powerhouse Providence, ranked third in the nation. Despite the loss, Knox sees an overall improvement in the team's performance.
"We wouldn't have seriously considered [a victory] last year," she said.
