Cross Country

Princeton has a strong history of successful distance runners, and 2010 became yet another remarkable season for the men’s and women’s cross country teams. The Tigers swept the Heptagonal Championships by wide margins and both teams posted top-20 finishes at NCAAs, kick-starting what would be triple crown seasons for both sets of runners.

As collegiate competition goes, cross country has a long tradition at Princeton. The Tigers held their first meet on Nov. 16, 1906, more than a century ago. Entering 2010, Princeton had already seen some impressive runners, including six All-American men and four All-American women. So when the men’s cross-country team has its best season in history, it means something. And after the Tigers’ performance Monday at the NCAA championship in Terre Haute, Ind., nobody can doubt that 2010 has been that season.

The men’s cross country roster looks like it belongs to a team in a “rebuilding year.” Sixteen runners are underclassmen and nine are juniors; only four are seniors. No matter how talented, a small eldest class can harm a team.

The men’s cross country team could have fallen short at this weekend’s NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet and still boast phenomenal improvements over last year. The women’s team could have run poorly at their meet and still have a record-breaking year.

In the near-non-stop athletic news cycle, it’s rare to catch history being made. Injuries and upsets can break otherwise perfect seasons. Dumb chance can blow flawless games. But when Princeton’s cross country teams entered the Heptagonal Championship in New York City on Oct. 29, history could have gone either way.