It's easy to get antsy and run too quickly at the beginning of a race?especially if it's the first race of the season against archrival Colby. The Bowdoin Men's Cross-Country Team was able to resist this temptation.
Team members proved they have courage and discipline by overcoming any first-race jitters, running their own race, and letting a pack of 10 Colby runners run in front of them for the first mile. The team proved its talent and potential by passing those same runners towards the end of the race to claim a 26-31 Polar Bear victory.
"I will always remember seeing 10 Colby runners in front of us for the first few miles and passing them during mile three," said Tim Katlic '08, who led a pack of six Bears past a pack of Mules in the middle of the race.
For the team's first years, this race was the first of their career, which makes it all the more impressive that they were able to negative-split (run the second half of the race faster than the first half).
Katlic praised the first years, including standout Thompson Ogilvie, Alex Carpenter, and Jonas Crimm, for "adjusting to the longer distance of five miles and for keeping a calm pace at the beginning of the race."
Bowdoin captain Owen McKenna '07 finished the wet and hilly course in third place in a time of 27:12. Following McKenna were Nate Krah '08, John Hall '08, and Ogilvie all under 27:30.
"This was a great opening race that showed we have potential," Hall said. He also emphasized the importance of negative-splitting a race. Hall ran 5:30 for his first mile and finished the course in a grueling 4:55.
McKenna agreed that this race should set the tone for the rest of the season.
"Today's race was a different race filled with obstacles," he said. "Colby was an obstinate opponent refusing to lose. However, in the heat of the race we realized that Bowdoin College doesn't settle for second place because we are a school of champions. Thus, we rallied and were victorious."