Cross country finishes well

Last Saturday, the Yeomen and Yeowomen had a first hand preview of their Conference Championship course at Earlham College.

The race allowed the teams to strategize about their Conference Championship race on the same course, and allowed others to make sure they know the course.

Sophomore Colin Fishwick accidentally cut across part of the course, which almost got him disqualified according to sophomore Mark Sasaki, on his way to a 23rd-place finish.

The men earned a sixth-place finish on the day out of 11 teams, without top runners senior Harsha Thirumurthy and first-year David Bevacqua. The Yeowomen took 4th, 2 points behind 3rd, running with their full lineup for the first time.

In the race, temperatures in the 80s, made the race "damn hot" according to sophomore Lisa Mickley.

Water was handed out during the race, but they didn't help much.

"The course was harder than we thought it would be," Sasaki said. "It was a painful race, I was glad it was over."

Thirumurthy ran for three miles before Head Coach Tom Mulligan pulled him in his first race appearance this season. This bodes well for the team, which plans to benefit from the addition of last year's 3rd-place Conference finisher, come Conference time.

First-year John Rogers lead the Yeomen with a seventh-place finish. Senior Max Rankenberg finished 21st with a time of 29:10. Fishwick finished in 29:21. First-year Kristian Whitsett placed 56th with a time of 31:38, and senior Noah Kraut rounded out the scoring five with a time of 33:47 given him an 81st place finish.

Mulligan was pleased that Whitsett and Kraut were running to place. "It adds excitement to the whole thing when you know you are in a scoring position," Mulligan said.

On the women's side, senior Trista Thornberry finished fifth with a time of 20:43 in her first race this season. Thornberry decided to join the team two weeks ago according to Mulligan, when she found out she was eligible.

First-year Jenni Huelsman finished ninth with a time of 20:48.

Mickley finished 14th in 20:55. First-year Beth Spalding placed 27th with a time of 21:27.

Junior China Weber and co-captain Rachel Sims finished together in 43rd and 44th place with times of 22:02 and 22:04.

For sophomore Rebecca Grossman it was her first race this season, after breaking her toe when a suitcase dropped on it, while working at a water ski camp in the Poconos at the end of the summer. Last season's conference rookie of the year was not very pleased with her 48th place finish. Grossman placed 9th at conference championships last year.

"I was disappointed," Grossman said. "It was a stepping stone. I got to start somewhere."

Grossman said, "Everyone's doing a really good job, everyone is spirited about team goal. Focusing on team goals.

"If we continue to work really hard as a team we have a chance to do well in conference, not just one person, but everyone," Grossman said.