Women's Varsity cross country claimed fifth place out of 44 teams in the New England Division I Championships held at Boston's Franklin Park. The Ephs were the second Division III team in the standings, three places behind second place Amherst. Division I Quinnipiac claimed the title. In the sub-varsity race, the women's second seven clinched the title for the first time in team history.
Blazing temperatures and dust-filled air greeted the Ephs as they stepped off the bus Saturday morning. Boston's Franklin Park, known for its flat terrain, easy footing and usually fast times, experienced sweltering conditions that plagued runners throughout the three one-mile loops. Although the race did not deliver the PRs that runners often claim at Franklin, the Eph women placed exceptionally well in a tough field of Division I, Division II, Division III, and fellow NESCAC schools.
As the Ephs toed the line, Coach Peter Farwell assured them that in the hot conditions many competitors would fade quickly. The Eph women took this to heart when discussing their strategy. Agreeing to attain good position at the start of the race without tiring too quickly, they knew they would be slightly conservative in the beginning and use their strength advantages to pass. Sure enough, as the race progressed, Junior All-American Rachel Asher worked her way through the throngs of faltering competitors, leading the way for her teammates who did the same.
Through the first-mile marker Asher found herself farther back in the field than she liked, but pushed herself to the front pack with the region's top dogs and finished in blistering fashion. Not far behind was a powerful trio of Eph women composed of captain Lissy Robie ‘08, Moira Yoe '10, and captain Liz Gleason '08. Just seconds apart the entire race, the cluster worked together to pass their heat-stricken foes. A second group of Lauren Philbrook '09, Bret Scofield '10, and Gillian Tedeschi '09 rounded out the top seven squad.
Asher cruised to the finish in 28th with a time of 18:59. Robie, Yoe, and Gleason captured 37th, 44th, and 53rd places respectively with times of 19:13, 19:19, and 19:27. Philbrook, Scofield, and Tedeschi finished 67th, 78th, and 85th with respective times of 19:37, 19:46, and 19:50.
Sophomore Olga Kondratjeva led the women's sub-varsity to the title with her impressive third place finish and 19:24 clocking. Hot on her heels was teammate Jess Clarke in sixth (19:37). Rounding out the second seven were Laura Walls (11th, 19:52), Elly Teitsworth (12th, 19:54), Natalia Rey de Castro (15th, 20:02), Sarah Tory (23rd, 20:18), and Tina Meade (4th, 20:29).
Coach Peter Farwell was pleased with the Ephs' efforts in both races: "All in all, Williams had a great day, dealing with the heat better than most other teams, even pacing terrifically, and looking right 'on pace' for this point in the season. Especially following a mountain run last Sunday and fine workout Tuesday. We feel very good about where we are now in comparison to other NESCAC and Division III teams."
Next weekend the Ephs host the Plansky Invitational at Mount Greylock High School, where runners will race either a 4k or 5k distance.
Complete results.
