Cross country runs away with Invitational

Author: Jeff Patterson

No, Jimmy Butcher '08 didn't win the Panther Invitational last Saturday - he came in second - but the men's and women's cross-country teams won the team races in run-away fashion. This year's races marked the fifth consecutive Panther Invitational win for the women and a second straight victory in the event for the men.

Plattsburgh State's Matt Deshane covered the five-mile course in a winning time of 26:06.1 (at a 5:13.2 per mile pace), 49.3 seconds in front of Butcher while fellow Cardinal Toni Wiszowaty topped Middlebury's Makely Lyon '07 by 46.3 seconds for the women's individual title.

"Off the gun, three of us went immediately to the front and set a strong tempo," said Butcher. "DeShane clearly demonstrated that he is in spectacular shape early on in the season. He broke away on the first uphill and never relented; I never had an opportunity to reestablish contact."

Lyon was quick to point out, "They obviously have two very talented individuals, but cross country is a team sport, so having one strong individual on each side doesn't cut it in team scoring." The Panther women scored with seven runners in the top 10, while the men had seven runners in the top 15.

"Matt is a great runner and he put on a great performance last weekend," said co-captain Will McDonough '07. "He's an accomplished five-time All-American, so we knew he'd be fast. We really never talked about him beforehand, though, because the individual title isn't something we were concerned with. We won as a team, and that depth is what will ultimately help us in the long run."

Saturday marked the opening race of the season for both teams and the opener for first-year runners. "I could not have wished for a better outcome," said Chris Free '10, who finished eighth overall in his first collegiate race. "The entire team ran terrifically and I was happy to see us running in a pack and coming out victorious."

For the seniors on the team, the Panther Invitational was both their first race of the year and their last race on Middlebury soil. "Winning the first race of the season is always a great place to start," said McDonough, who finished fourth, his best finish in his four years of running in the event. "For the three seniors on the [men's] team, I know it's especially meaningful, as it is the last race we'll ever run on our home course."

Home course advantage starts earlier in the day than one might imagine. Free ate a "Saturday morning breakfast [that] was far from [his] typical pre-race meal." It included "several pancakes with fruit topping and whip cream along with a quiche, a banana and some sort of muffins. Normally I confine myself to dry cereal, bread, and fruit," he said, "but that morning I wanted a full stomach pre-race."

Taking in the correct amount of fluids was crucial given the "muggy and hot" conditions. "It's tough weather to prepare for," said McDonough, "because you don't want to overhydrate and risk cramping up, but if you do not drink enough water, you will definitely regret it during the race."

Although admittedly a little nervous before the race, Free said he was able to free himself from the pre-race butterflies. "Once the gun goes off the world turns around, and the nerves are gone as confidence settles in," said Free.

While he ran around the Ralph Myhre Golf Course - site of the ongoing Duke Nelson Invitational - Free noticed the golfers on the first loop but said, "the second time we passed that same area, however, I was much more focused and don't think I noticed them at all." McDonough never noticed the golfers when he went by. "Pretty much everything in the peripheral vision gets blurry," he said.

The photo finish between Lyon and teammate Andi Giddings '07, for second and third - with Lyon .8 of a second in front - must have been pretty blurry in it's own right. Each was averaging about a 6:14.2 minute mile.

"It's always great to see the Men's and Women's teams put on such dominating performances at home," added McDonough, "but we also understand that we have a long season ahead of us."

Both cross country teams return to action on Saturday, Sept. 23 as they travel to Massachusetts to the Williams Invitational.