Ephs take 2nd at McGill Invite
Williams women’s Cross Country finished second out of nine teams on Saturday in their 2007 season opener at the McGill Invitational in Montreal, Quebec. While the Eph women placed five runners in the top 14 competitors, it was not quite enough to clinch the title. A strong Western Ontario team won with a score of 24, while the Ephs tallied 35 points and finished second.
Junior All-American Rachel Asher was the top Eph-scorer with her third place finish. Not far behind in fifth was rookie sensation Sarah Weber who will surely be a strong contributer to this year’s squad. Junior Lauren Philbrook and senior captain Lissy Robie were the next Ephs to cross the line in 6th and 7th , while Moira Yoe ‘10, Bret Scofield ‘10, and Liz Gleason ‘08 rounded out the top 7 with their respective 14th, 16th, and 17th spots.
The McGill 4k course is set at the base of Montreal’s Mount Royal and consists of two 2k loops around the perimeter of the park. Known for its variable terrain, the challenging course winds its way over two substantial hills, stretches of grass, dirt road, and cinder trail. Coach Pete Farwell urged the Ephs to run a controlled tempo effort for the first of the two 2k loops, and gradually accelerate at the start of the second loop through the last 2k. Focusing on pack running and negative splitting, rather than an all-out race effort, most implemented the plan to perfection.
As the Ephs toed the line under cloudy skies and wet conditions, they reminded each other to attain good position before the sharp left turn just 100m after the starting line. After the gun went off, Gleason, Asher, Robie and Philbrook made their way to the front-third of the herd, followed closely behind by Weber, Scofield and Yoe.
At the 2k marker, the Ephs’ front pack was strung out, but had already gained substantial ground on the front runners of the field. Asher continued her climb to join the very front pack, while a bit farther back, Philbrook and Robie worked together to catch competitors on a difficult second dose of hills. With about 1k remaining, Sarah Weber put on a remarkable surge to join teammate Asher at the very front. A second pack of Yoe, Gleason, and Scofield continued to pass competitors, implementing Farwell’s negative split plan.
Asher sped to the finish in third with a time of 15:44 with Weber hot on her heels in fifth (15:48). Philbrook and Robie were not far behind in 15:53 and15:54, while Yoe, Scofield, and Gleason streamed in just after with respective times of 16:08, 16:13 and 16:14.
“I’m really happy to see the girls pack up and work together,” said captain and All-American Liz Gleason. “It was exciting to see multiple packs moving up throughout the race. This is how Williams likes to run, and this bodes well for the championship meets when teamwork is how teams win.”
Next weekend the Ephs will host the Purple Valley Classic at Mount Greylock High School for their first home meet.
