After running to disappointing results at the Paul Short Invitational on Oct. 3, the Dartmouth men's and women's cross country teams made great strides in Saturday's New England Championships at Boston's Franklin Park.
The men's top seven runners and the women's top five runners used the weekend to rest for the NCAA Pre-Championship meet next Sunday in Terre Haute, Ind., allowing other runners to assert themselves and battle for precious spots in later races this fall.
The men's team failed to defend its victory in last year's meet, but still ran to a respectable second-place finish in the 43-team field, finishing with 192 points. The University of Connecticut finished first with 149 points, placing four runners in the top 35.
Henry Sterling '14 led the Big Green, finishing the looping eight-kilometer course through Franklin Park in 25:01, enough for a 10th-place finish out of 282 runners.
"We were looking to win," Sterling said. "But we're happy with second. If we'd done things a little differently and had run more as pack, we'd have finished first. Some other teams were a lot stronger than we expected them to be."
Dylan O'Sullivan '15 followed Sterling, finishing 23rd overall with a time of 25:24. Close behind was Jake Shoemaker '12, who finished in 25:49 for 41st place.
Rounding out the Big Green in scoring were Matthew Pierce '14 and Luke Decker '15, who finished in 54th place and 64th place with times of 25:49 and 26:04, respectively. Will Geoghegan '14 and Matt Miner '12 finished last for the Big Green, both finishing the course in 26:58.
"This race was a test for guys looking to run at [the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships]," O'Sullivan said. "It's also a good race for us young guys to establish ourselves on the team."
On the women's side, the Big Green finished fifth overall in the 39-team field with 177 team points. Nearly 300 runners competed in the race.
Dartmouth was led by Lizzie Short '12 and Kate Sullivan '13, who finished 20th and 22nd with times of 18:26 and 18:27, respectively.
Arianna Vailas '14 was the third Dartmouth runner to finish, crossing the line in 32nd place in a time of 18:39. Six seconds behind Vailas was Bridget End '14, who finished in 18:45, earning a 39th-place finish. Kaitlyn D'Orazio '13 was the final points-scorer for the Big Green, crossing the line in 64th place in 19:05.
Laura Hempel '12 and Chrissy Supino '12 finished 71st and 115th with times of 19:09 and 19:48, respectively.
Boston College won the five-kilometer race in dominant fashion, scoring just 38 team points.
"It was a fun race," Short said. "Many of us are from around here, so it's a treat to race in front of friends and family. [Boston College] and many other schools ran their top seven, so it was a good tune-up race for us to really test ourselves individually going into the Pre-Championship meet next weekend."
Sullivan, who ran stride-for-stride with Short on Saturday, said she loved the race's atmosphere.
"There's a long finish to the course which is fun because you get to see a lot of cheering fans," Sullivan said. "Plus, there are lots of loops in the course, so the spectators are never far away. You kind of feed off their energy."
In a testament to Dartmouth's depth, both the men and women's junior varsity runners finished first in their respective races. The men had four runners finish in the top 10, while the women had three.
Both the men's and women's varsity teams are now preparing for the NCAA Pre-Championship meet. With their top runners rested since the Paul Short Invitational, the Big Green expects big results over the weekend.
"The season is not a linear progression," O'Sullivan said. "People get sick and injured, but it looks like everything is coming together for a big finish."
Sterling added that the men's team's range of running skills and experience is a strength.
"In workouts, everybody feels pressured to perform at their best, because if they don't, someone else is right behind them that wants their spot," he said. "It's definitely bolstered our confidence at meets."
Female runners said they feel similarly about their team's competitve roster.
"It's really fun to work out with several dozen women that are totally focused on running their best," Short said. "We just have to keep up our workouts and hopefully the results will follow."
Sullivan said the team's attitude helps it deal with the stress of big meets such as the Pre-Championship.
"There's a lot of pressure at these big races, but we deal with it well," says Sullivan. "The team is one big, strong support system. Relying on teammates improves individual performance. Hopefully all our work translates into a good finish next weekend."
