Tigers lead U.S. in Kenya

As every Princeton cross country runner knows, New Jersey's humidity is stifling in the summer. At the World Cross Country Championships two weekends ago, Mike Spence '00 and Cack Ferrell '06 discovered that it's nothing compared to Kenya's in March.

"We get some humid weather in New Jersey in the summer," Spence said, "but I'd never felt anything like this. It was indescribable. The race was the most frightening I've ever been in. I was more concerned for my health than for my finishing position. All I could think was, 'Please let me get through this race.' "

Despite temperatures in the mid 90s and suffocating humidity, Spence and Ferrell did more than get through the race. In Mombasa, Kenya, both Spence and Ferrell triumphed as the top U.S. finishers in their respective races on March 24 at the 35th annual International Association of Athletics Federations World Cross Country Championships.

Captain of the senior men's team, Spence placed 55th in the 12K race, finishing in a time of 39 minutes, 32 seconds and leading the team to an 11th place finish. Ferrell completed the 8K senior women's circuit in 29:43, finishing 30th and leading Team USA to an eighth-place finish overall. Host Kenya claimed the championship in both the men's and women's competitions.

It came as no surprise that the two Princetonians came out near the top. To qualify for the international meet, both runners turned in stellar finishes at the U.S. Cross Country Championships in Boulder, Colo., in February. Spence placed fifth but was ultimately seeded first on the men's senior squad after the four runners who placed ahead of him opted out of going to Kenya. Ferrell finished 10th and was not expected to attend the World Championships, but she was included on the women's roster when a few runners also decided not to attend because of unstable international relations.

Their appearances at the race were the first for both Spence and Ferrell, who represented Team USA and the Orange and Black remarkably well both on and off the course. Alongside senior women's captain Renee Metivier Baillie, Ferrell spearheaded a visit to St. Peter's the Rock Junior School in Mombasa, where the 16 members of Team USA delivered 52 pairs of shoes to the impoverished school's students. Ferrell worked in conjunction with the One World Running project, a group that collects and ships shoes and running apparel to underdeveloped nations around the world, to organize this event.

"Going to that school and seeing the kids there was one of the only times we could represent ourselves as Team USA," Spence said. "All the kids were in their uniforms and singing songs for us. They were so welcoming. It was a really powerful thing to experience a day before the race because it put the race in perspective. The race was a big event, but the bigger purpose behind it all was to experience other cultures and to do whatever you can for your fellow man."

As a Tiger, Spence was a two-time first-team All-Ivy runner in cross country and twice finished in second place at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. Ferrell earned All-America honors three times in both cross country and indoor track at Princeton and led the Tigers to three straight NCAA appearances.

What Ferrell and Spence learned off the track during college, however, is what propelled them toward this latest achievement.

"Princeton has everything to do with this," Spence said. "It took me until my senior year to realize it, but I realized around the time I was applying for jobs on Wall Street that the most important thing for me to do with the rest of my life was what I was most passionate about. The cumulative experience of being at Princeton showed me I would be better served by following my heart after school."

By following their hearts and relying on their feet, the former Tigers reached a level of accomplishment few athletes ever attain.

Though New Jersey's climate may not have prepared Spence and Ferrell for the race as much as they may have hoped, their experiences at Princeton helped pave the way for their success.