Runners Show Off Talent at NCAA Regionals

Author: Mike Mazzotta

This past Saturday, the Middlebury Panthers traveled to Westfield State College in Massachusetts to take part in the 2002 NCAA Division III New England Regional Cross-Country Championships. The women raced well and extended their season for another week by capturing a berth in the NCAA Championships, while the men's team finished its season in terrific fashion.
The Panthers placed second in a snowy race to ensure their spot that weekend. They showed their depth by placing five women in the top 20. Jess Manzer '05 came through for the Panthers, leading the team in a time of 21:25 over the six-kilometer course and capturing seventh place overall. Molly Yazwinski '04 and Michela Adrian '03 were in hot pursuit of Manzer. They finished in 10th and 11th places with times of 22:43 and 22:44, respectively.
Sarah Logan '03 placed 13th and Marissa Cawley '05 came in 20th. All five Panthers earned All-New England Honors. First-years Nora Segar and Kelsey Rinehart were the sixth and seventh Panthers placing 36th and 48th overall.
Yazwinski and Cawley, who had both suffered from injuries earlier this season, both had spectacular races and eliminated any prior concerns about their health. However, Manzer stole the show, racing through a foot injury to lead the Panthers. She averaged a phenomenal 5:46 per mile pace. Teammate Jenny Jorvig '06 described Manzer's performance as "gutsy."
The Panthers look to cap off their season next weekend in the NCAA Championship meet. They will represent New England along with Bowdoin, Trinity, Wesleyan and Williams. However, only Middlebury will have the experience of being the two-time defending national champion.
In the men's race, the Panthers also attacked the course and placed 17th out of 35 teams, an improvement on last years 22nd-place finish. In the pre-race huddle, coach Terry Aldrich dedicated the final race to the seniors, and the rest of the team certainly made them proud.
Rookie sensations Garrott Kuzzy '06 and Jon Erwin '05 once more led the charge for the Panthers. Kuzzy finished the eight-kilometer course in a time of 26:32 and captured 68th place overall. Erwin placed 98th overall with a time of 27:05. Marshall Greene '04 (27:14), Mike Mazzotta '03 (27:21), and Nolan Sandygren '06 (27:38) followed. Mike Romankiewicz '03 and Chris Eberly '04 were the sixth and seventh Panthers.
Kuzzy raced at a blistering 5:21 mile pace. Greene, Mazzotta and Romankiewicz, the only runners to have competed at Regionals last year, shaved an average of 31 seconds off of their previous time on the same course in spite of this year's inclement weather. Eberly made the regional squad for the first time in his cross-country career. Romankiewicz was responsible for the most memorable moment of the day. Tom Icard '06 described the event: "Romankiewicz came tearing down the last quarter-mile stretch in a drag race with this guy from Fitchburg State. Romankiewicz was leaning so far forward; I thought he was going to fall over. At the last minute, the other guy out-leaned him, but Mike had the last laugh when the other guys booted in the finishing chute. It was classic."
The Regional meet was the culmination of the resurgence of Middlebury men's cross-country this season. All the hard work, increased training and new found intensity showed in its impressive race. It proved that it is a program on the rise and will be one of the top teams in New England in the near future.
Cross-country fans will now follow the women's team to St. Olaf's College in Minnesota, where the women will compete in the NCAA Division III National Championship on Saturday.
After a long and largely successful season thus far, the women look poised to make a strong showing at the race. At stake is an unprecedented third straight national championship.