XC crosses off NCAA title from its to do list

Author: James Kerrigan

Muddy conditions in West Chester, Ohio slowed the overall pace but could not stop the Middlebury women's cross country team from winning its fourth NCAA Championship on Nov. 18.

In the closest finish in the history of the Division III NCAA Cross Country Championships, the Middlebury women edged out NESCAC foe Amherst 144-145 and gave the College its 27th national title in the past 12 years. The scores were posted at 12:45 p.m., but the win was not official until the Panthers waited-out the standard 30-minute protest period. No teams filed a complaint and the Panthers had the title.

Alexandra Krieg '09 - who finished just behind seniors Andrea Giddings and Erin Archard in most races this season - saved her best race for last and finished 8th overall to lead the Panthers.

"Although the weather was clear, the course was extremely wet and became increasingly muddy as people ran on it," said Krieg, who was the highest placing underclassmen at the NCAA event. "It felt like running through wet sand because the mud was so deep. Each step took extra energy."

With mud six to eight inches deep in some sections of the course, every stride was grueling and the results showed. Willamette's Sarah Zerzan, the individual winner at the NCAAs, recorded an average mile time of 6:16 a pace that was 30 seconds slower than the winning time at the NCAA regionals.

Coach Terry Aldrich, who has been at Middlebury for 32 years, has seen hundreds of races, but went so far as to say, "it was the most horrendous footing I have ever seen for a race."

The conditions were not the dominating story at Wilmington College on Saturday, though. The Panthers' performance was what everyone was talking about. Giddings finished 25th overall while Archard placed 29th. Those three earned All-American honors for their high finishes. Claire Shultz '07 and Makely Lyon '07 rounded out Middlebury's 144 point value by finishing 54th and 68th respectively, which helped the women squeeze by Amherst.

"I think each runner on our team felt that she was part of something larger; it didn't matter if one of us was tired, because slowing down simply was not an option," said Krieg. "Each person ran for Middlebury, not for herself."

Five of Middlebury's top six runners were seniors, but their impact was not limited to speedy running and strong results. They brought an extra element to the table all season long.

"Having five seniors on a cross country team is a coach's dream," said Aldrich. "There is no way to underestimate the importance of their leadership and contribution to the team. In endurance sports, it takes years to develop the strength and base to be able to compete at a high level. [Archard and Giddings] had been on a National Championship team as first-years and knew what to expect. They were both instrumental in getting our team focused on the task ahead of them."

Middlebury, who finished fourth behind Amherst, Tufts and Williams at the NESCAC Championships in late October, stepped up at the right time for several reasons and finished first in a bigger race.

"I think everything just came together for this race," said Krieg. "Terry designs our training so that we peak at the end of the season. Also, realizing that we might actually win was so motivating."

The men's race preceded the women's and the runners sufficiently tore up the course, turning it into a quagmire, as Aldrich pointed out. One of those course-killers was Middlebury's top runner, Jimmy Butcher '08, who earned an individual entry to the race based on his impressive finish at the NCAA Regional. Butcher finished 34th out of 280 and earned All-American honors for his effort.

Coach Aldrich was also honored by his peers as the D-III women's cross country coach of the year - his fourth such honor - for leading his harriers to another NCAA Championsip win.