Under cloudy skies the Bowdoin women's cross-country team stood at the starting line, preparing for one of the most challenging races of the year. On Homecoming weekend they were to take on not only Bowdoin alumni, but also the oddly dressed men's team.
Most men sported numbers drawn on bare chests and one appeared to be a farmer in spandex. A few took it to the extreme by wearing speed suits. Yes, spandex unitards. However, the women ignored taunts of "you're going down" from the men's team and instead focused on the more important aspects of the race.
"It was really nice to get to run in a race that was more relaxed and less competitive than usual. It was also fun to get to meet some of the alumni and to be able to run on our home course for the first time this season," said Amy Ahearn '08.
Coach Peter Slovenski analyzed last year's results in order to determine the head start of three-and-a-half minute for the women to counter the basic difference in athletic ability between men and women. At Slovenski's signal, the women surged forward across the athletic fields, past ongoing field hockey and rugby games, and raced into the woods.
Treating this "race" as a good-flow mile workout, the women concentrated on pacing well throughout the 5K course. This was also a chance for the first years on the team to run their home course for the first and only time this season. Before the race, Slovenski placed the women into pace groups and warned the runners to beware of the wildlife. The runners quickly found out this was useful advice, for waiting at mile one were gorillas of the dangerous banana-throwing variety. Dodging bananas, the women's team continued their work-out, progressively picking up the pace. Said Jill Schweitzer '06 "banana attacks from gorillas in the gully did not deter our valiant women."
When women were about a half mile in, the men burst from the starting line, determined to catch the women's team and preserve their pride. The competition between the men and women's team was close, as Andrew Combs '06 caught Audra Caler '05 in the last 300 meters of the race. Next to cross the finish from the men's team was Pat Hughes '05, closely followed by Courtney Eustace '08.
For Eustace the race was a memorable one. "The people hiding in gorilla suits were the highlight of the race. Getting hit in the head with a banana was a new running experience for me," she said.
In a final sprint across the field, Ben Martens '06, Ben Peisch '05, and Nate Krah '08 were just able to catch Laura Onderko '08. Leading the next charge to the finish was Owen McKenna '07, closely followed by fellow sophomore Kristen Brownell. The men's first-year tandem of Tim Katlic and John Hall were able to chase down Alex Knapp '07, but Knapp fended off Jeb Bobsiene '07. In a final sprint to the finish Amy Ahearn '08 showed her speed as she edged out Jonah Popp '06 to finish sixth on the women's team.
Jamie Knight '07 finished soon thereafter. "The race was fantastic. I've never had a banana thrown at me while I was running, and was unaware that the wildlife in Maine included gorillas," she said. The eighth and final finisher for the women's team was Jill Schweitzer '06, finishing behind Ken Akiha '08 and Mike Record '06, and ahead of Oliver Cunningham '08 and Dan Hall '05.
By comparing the scores of the first five men and women finishers from the Bowdoin cross-country teams, the men beat the women. However, when considering the results, one must take into account that the women's second and sixth runners, Ellen Beth '05 and Sarah Podmaniczky '08, did not participate in the race. With them the women would have obviously won. Keeping everything in perspective, the women look forward to this coming Saturday when they will travel to Colby to compete in the NESCAC championship meet.