While the rest of us relaxed in the warm summer weather, the Bowdoin Men's Cross-Country Team trained through the season's heat with high expectations for the year ahead.
Ten months after a spectacular 2006 season, the men's cross country team has had some time to rest, reflect, and prepare. As the calendar turns from summer to fall, a long stretch of tough meets lie ahead for these seasoned runners, their biological clocks ticking to one simple and singular beat: run.
Last Saturday, the team took first place in its stunning season opener at Colby. Ten Bowdoin runners crossed the finish line before any of their opponents in a 50-15 rout of the Mules.
"We treated the race as a work-out," sophomore Thompson Oglivie said. "Colby lost a lot of man-power after last year so we knew we were going to be successful against them."
Ogilvie finished in a pack of six other Bowdoin runners with a time of 28:04.
The Colby course is one of the more demanding Bowdoin will face, and features Mayflower Hill?a continuous half-mile climb. To add to its difficulty, the course was drenched from a steady rain that lasted the duration of the men's race.
During the meet, senior Tyler Lonsdale slipped on a tight turn and fell hard to the wet ground. Co-captain John Hall '08, showcasing his steeplechase skills, leapt over the fallen Lonsdale to avoid a pileup and keep his position in the race. Despite the fall, Lonsdale and Hall finished together at 28:03.
Head Coach Peter Slovenski spoke fondly of his "experienced lineup" of runners, who were able to overcome the terrain in their resounding victory.
"The Colby course is very rugged and challenging, but our guys were ready for a good race," Slovenski said.
The Colby squad was plagued by setbacks that slowed the typically strong team. The Mules competed without the help of two of their best runners, who were forced to sit out of the race due to minor injuries, and therefore had to tap into young talent in Saturday's meet.
The first three Colby runners to cross the finish line were all first years, including John DeAscentis, who placed 11th overall with a time of 29:58.
The Mules are expected to recover much of their strength next month as their injuries heal and the team gains experience.
The Bowdoin team will travel to Tufts on Saturday for the Jumbo Invitational, but has its sights set on the NESCAC, Division III New England, and the NCAA championship meets that potentially loom in the future.
Last year, Bowdoin finished second to archrival Williams in both the NESCAC and Division III NE finals, and 17th of 32 teams at Nationals.
As the Bears look to expand on last year's successes, they will have to overcome Williams and a very strong Trinity team that has taken first place in its two meets this season.