The Bowdoin Men's Cross-Country Team capped its successful fall season with a 20th place finish out of 32 at the Division III National Championships on November 10.
The team entered the meet at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, as underdogs.
Although the Bears usually face tough competition in New England, the odds of success were against them as they faced teams of larger schools from other regions who had more experience in big races.
After a season that was largely spent in Williams's shadow, Bowdoin entered the championship hoping to prove itself on the national stage.
Nevertheless, the Bears' 455 points in its race against the nation's best put them in third among NESCAC schools, behind Williams and Amherst.
Senior Nate Krah was awarded with All-American honors for his 28th place finish with a time of 25:08.
"We were never ranked higher than 27th in the national poll, so I'm really proud of all seven of my teammates for getting out there and showing that we were underrated all season," Krah said.
Senior John Hall reaffirmed his teammate's words.
"Finishing 20th was a great way to end the year," said Hall. "Everyone ran their best, and we certainly proved that we were deserving of our at-large bid."
Race day greeted the runners with a light snowfall and chilly breeze.
By the time the gun sounded at 1 p.m. to start the race, the snow had subsided, and the runners began the eight-kilometer course in 40-degree weather under gloomy November skies.
At 28th place, Krah was Bowdoin's first to finish. He was followed by senior John Hall, whose 25:30 finish put him in 58th. Sophomore Thompson Ogilvie strode in at 25:49 in 101st place to round out Bowdoin's top three finishers.
"Everyone ran with guts, and that's what it takes at the national level," Krah said.
"When the gun goes off, and it's a free-for-all with 300 really fast guys. You have to be tough, and maybe even a little crazy if you're going to come out on top, or surpass your expectations," he added.
This was the final race for seniors Krah, Hall, Tyler Lonsdale, and Ken Akiha, who have all run cross-country since their first years at Bowdoin.
The four co-captains led by example at nationals, as they each placed in the top seven and propelled Bowdoin to its 20th place success.