Women's Cross Country Back on Top of the Little Three
Bret Scofield -10- Meghan Shea -11- Robin Kuntz -09- Jessica Clarke -10- Mary Brunelli -12
The spirit of the historic Little Three Cross County Meet was
definitely present today at Williams' home course, with camaraderie
among teammates and opponents, many cheering fans and parents. The
top three runners in the race were Elise Tropiano from Amherst,
Lauren Philbrook from Williams, and Wheatley from Wesleyan. They
were a nice example of what the Little Three Meet is all
about.
Williams redeemed itself after a loss to Amherst last year,
outscoring the Lord Jeffs by a great margin of 24 to 51, while
Wesleyan placed third with 64 points. Philbrook stuck with Tropiano
for most of the race, but Tropiano broke away to finish in 18:38,
followed by Philbrook in 18:51. What really made the difference for
Williams was the classic Cross Country pack running by Bret
Scofield, Meghan Shea, Jess Clarke, and Mary Brunelli who stayed
together for practically the whole race, finishing within a few
seconds of each other at around 19:15. This showed the great team
work that the Williams women are capable of, which was especially
smart because of the windy conditions on the course today.
The top 12 runners will compete next week at the NESCAC
Championship Meet, hosted by Bates College in Maine. These women
are just entering peak season and should be feeling great as they
cut back their mileage in order to feel fresh next weekend.
However, this race was the last for a majority of the harriers, who
showed great heart, putting everything on the line and leaving no
ounce of effort unspent. Year after Year, Williams, Amherst, and
Wesleyan come together for this great tradition and after another
year, it lives on as strong as ever!
