After running 4.75 miles at less than 5:15 per mile, the men of NESCAC cross-country teams will be less than a quarter-mile from the finish line of the 8k (4.97 miles) race. The runners will dig deep down and whoever finds the energy to kick the hardest will be this year's NESCAC champion. Every spot matters.
As Thompson Ogilvie '10 put it, "A strong kick is intricate to the race because you never know if anyone is coming up on you. Since every point matters, we cannot let anyone by us. So in the final meters of the race, we need to put the hammer down big time."
Connecticut College plays host to this year's NESCAC cross-country championship, which promises to be a thriller.
If past performances are any indicator, the Parents Weekend New England Open Championships revealed that Bowdoin and Williams' top five runners should have nearly identical point totals.
Over the past six semesters, Owen McKenna '07 has witnessed three Tufts XC NESCAC championships and three Williams track NESCAC championships. McKenna sees Williams as a formidable opponent and believes this year's race transcends cross-country.
"Williams is the powerhouse of the NESCAC," he said. "Its sports teams have claimed NESCAC championship crowns countless times over the years. They could be likened to a tyrannical government whose challengers to the crown are quickly and quietly trampled into the cross country course. While they will be a fearsome opponent at the race on Saturday, I believe that Bowdoin's finishing kick has the chance to be our coup d'etat. Every prevailing stride will signify the falling of the absolutist and the coming of a new king of the hills and dales, Bowdoin College."
Despite McKenna's excitement, the Bears enter as slight underdogs. Nationally, Bowdoin is ranked is 17th, while the Ephs hold a 16th place ranking. The showdown is set for 11 a.m. on Saturday.
This year, Bowdoin's women's team hopes to unleash hidden talent at the NESCAC championship. Although past performances indicate Bowdoin will finish around 8th place, Courtney Eustace '08 believes the 6k race, as opposed to the traditional 5k they run during the regular season, will enable Bowdoin to exceed expectations.
Williams, Amherst, and Colby enter as favorites for the women's crown, but the field is wide open and largely unpredictable.
"Our co-captain Alex Knapp ['07] is a fantastic runner and has been gearing up for this race, and co-captain Jamie Knight ['07] will be especially good at this 6k distance as opposed to our normal 5k," she said. "Overall, we have worked together and ran very closely throughout the season, so if we can push each other to move up as a pack, we will surprise a lot of teams."