Pain is a funny thing in the sport of track. To the casual runner, it is a cramp in the leg, a stitch in the side, a gasp of the lungs. But any seasoned competitor knows that track is a sport of heart. Not of who's faster but of who can transcend the physical toil to embrace a level of emotional?even spiritual?desire that makes first place not only the best option but the only option, and second just a painful disappointment.
This is the pain the Bowdoin men's team felt at the Maine State Meet last Saturday?the pangs of heartbreak as the Bears lost first place to Bates by only two points.
Given the razor-close finish, the Bears performed beautifully in many events of a meet marked by an air of competitive intensity. Although the men left the track with sunken hearts, their heads were high with the pride of having given a Herculean effort with much to celebrate.
Domination comes to mind in the case of junior Damon Hall-Jones, who not only won the 100- and 200-meter dashes but also anchored the first place 4x100-meter relay team. In recognition of his exceptional showing, Hall-Jones was honored with the Hillman Trophy as the most outstanding performer in the meet.
Brendan Egan '08, one of the four in Hall-Jones's relay squad, said that "Damon Hall-Jones' performance on the track gave all of us something we could be proud of. Our coaches had held him out of the [100] and [200] leading up to the state meet and we were all very excited to see what he would do. He did not disappoint. If he didn't win the Hillman Trophy, we all would have been ready to stage a protest. He earned that award."
Sophomore Thompson Ogilvie continued to assert his prowess in the 1500-meter run, crossing the finish line with a sensational time of 3:58. His effort proved the best in the state of Maine, as he finished first to give the Bears nine additional points.
Junior Mike Krohn added to Bowdoin's success with perhaps his greatest performance of the season, winning both the 110-meter hurdles and 4x100-meter relay. The meet was especially noteworthy for Krohn on a personal level as he broke three of his all-time best race times in not only the previously mentioned events but also the 400-meter hurdles.
"Mike Krohn had one of the most impressive days on the track I have ever seen," said Egan. "He has established himself as one of the most visible leaders on the team, and the way he has trained all winter and spring, he deserved to have as rewarding of a day as he did."
A few steps from the contests of the track, long jumper Tim Fuderich '10 took to the skies with a series of five sensational leaps that left him in second place with only one attempt to go. A crowd of spirited teammates lined the stretch of track and sand as Tim searched within himself for a mix of personal pride and hatred toward Colby that would elevate him above the competition.
Ready to accept a win and nothing else, Fuderich hurled himself through the air and finally landed in the sand 6.69 meters from where he left the ground for a comfortable first place finish.
"I just dug deep down, reminded myself of how badly I wanted it, and told myself that I was not going to let someone from Colby beat me," Fuderich said of his performance, Bowdoin's only field event win. "Such a great jump couldn't have come at a more dramatic time and it was all because of the immense amount of energy of the boys and support from the team."
After nearly a week to regroup and shake off the feelings of discontent, the Bears traveled to the Penn Relays on Thursday night. Results will be available online.
After only two days' rest, Bowdoin will travel to Hamilton College on Saturday for the NESCAC Championships.