Cross country running is about performing in all elements, and the Dartmouth men's and women's squads proved they could do just that on Saturday. The Big Green women charged to victory at Purple Valley Classic, hosted by Williams College, despite the rain and mud that plagued the course all day.
The women were led by Susan Dunklee '08, who finished first with a time of 22:56 over the six-kilometer course. Dartmouth placed its remaining four scorers all within the top 13 to tally 40 points overall and edge Williams by three points. Middlebury was close behind in third with 46 points.
"Willams and Middlebury are traditionally national powerhouses in Division III, so it is a great confidence booster to pull off the team win," Dunklee said.
The Dartmouth women displayed a tenacious pack running instinct, a true sign of a strong cross country team. Dartmouth's second- through sixth-place scorers all finished within 33 seconds of one another.
"We have a lot of new talent, as well as a lot of returning talent," Dunklee noted. "We have a lot more depth this year and we've been trying to work on pack running."
The Big Green women's cross country team is on course for success and determined to maintain it. When asked about the upcoming Murray Keatinge Invitational in Maine next weekend, head coach Maribel Souther and Dunklee echoed each other.
"As long as we keep doing what we've been doing we should perform well," Dunklee predicted.
Souther was on the same page. "The Keatinge invite is not a big focus for us. We will do well there if we continue doing what we are doing. We plan to run our best at the end of October," she said.
The Dartmouth men also showed that they could brave the elements and run successfully. Although head coach Barry Harwick decided not to run his top 12 athletes, the men still finished fourth in the team standings.
"We have a really big race in Maine next weekend (The Murray Keatinge Invitational), so I was resting my top group of guys," Harwick said. "Finishing fourth with this group was a good performance, not a great one."
Still, the Dartmouth men ran with heart and enthusiasm. "I would say that we ran a gutsy race today. Our guys ran hard and performed well given the conditions," said Hari Iyer '09, who placed 13th to lead the scoring for the Big Green.
Kevin Treadway '10 placed second for Dartmouth, despite taking a nasty fall almost halfway through the course. "The amount of mud on the course was unimaginable," he said. "I fell going around a downhill turn about two miles into the race."
"Kevin took a fairly hard spill, which not only loses time but kills momentum. Still, this was a very good race for him," Harwick said.
With so many of the top runners sidelined, Saturday was a great opportunity for the younger side of the team to gain racing experience.
"The most important thing these guys did today was put on a uniform and go run a college race," Harwick said. "In practice we try to simulate races, but there's nothing like the real thing. Every time you do it, you get a little better."
In Maine next weekend, the competition will be slightly steeper. "Racing against 10 Division I schools will definitely give us a better sense of where we're at," said Harwick.
Although the opponents may be tougher, the Dartmouth men will be back in full force -- ready to face the competition, the elements, and whatever else may come their way throughout the remainder of their fall campaign.
