Middlebury, VT--After getting some of the early season jitters
out at the Coed Relays the previous week, the Eph men headed to
Middlebury, VT in hopes of continuing to round into racing form.
Still, premiums were placed on solid but conservative efforts and
building racing experience, not finishing times or place. About
half of the men's cross-country team raced the 8K course, which
wound through forested trails and grassy flats alike on
Middlebury's rural campus. Despite minimal numbers the Eph men
managed a 2nd place finish out of six teams, with only NESCAC
competitor Middlebury finishing with fewer points.
Coach Pete Farwell outlined the race strategy
at Thursday's practice: "We're going to go out conservatively,
somewhere between 8K and tempo pace. Stay nice and relaxed,
cruising up the hills and rolling down them. Let's have the three
mile mark in the back of our minds as a place where we can look to
pick it up and really start racing."
The plan worked quite well. Although every
freshman athlete was racing the 8K distance for the first time (as
opposed to the traditional 5K distance run in high school), the
conservative strategy meant that no freshman were outmatched by the
longer distances. Almost every Eph runner managed to gain positions
in the second half of the race, a major goal for the team.
Freshman Henry Su said afterward, "The 8K is
surprisingly long. I was definitely glad to have felt comfortable
through two miles, because the distance really started to catch up
to me by the end of the race."
The Ephs also had some impressive individual
performances. The junior tandem of Will Palmer and Andrew Gaidus
produced a pair of sub-28:00 races, with Gaidus and Palmer
finishing 8th and 9th respectively. Both juniors struggled with
injuries last season and were exhilarated to lay the foundation for
a successful season with a strong effort early on. Schuyler Hall
'10 likely deserves the prize for strongest race, however, as he
set a personal best on a rather hilly and challenging Middlebury
course. Hall credits consistent summer training and smart racing
tactics for his early season success.
Next week the Eph men host the Purple Valley
Invitational, to be run at Mt. Greylock Regional High School. With
some top notch talent scheduled to compete, the invite will be an
early opportunity to see how the Ephs stack up with some of the
stronger teams in the New England area. What's more, it will be the
first time that the Eph's top runners lace up their racing shoes
for an 8K this season.
