Cross Country: Women headed to nationals

When all was said and done, the Princeton women tied for first with the West Virginia Mountaineers. The men employed a high-risk, high-reward strategy in their race, placing fourth and failing to secure one of the two automatic bids to the NCAA Championships.

The women’s team entered the Mid-Atlantic Regionals as the narrow favorite to defend its title in the country’s toughest region. Five Mid-Atlantic teams are ranked in the top 25, including three powerhouses: No. 4 Princeton, No. 5 Villanova and No. 6 West Virginia.

After getting boxed in behind several other teams during the narrow start, the Tigers surged to the front. Junior Liz Costello, a two-time Ivy League champion, was in the lead pack of three harriers at the mile mark. Six Princeton runners followed close behind Costello in their customary tight pack.

Head coach Peter Farrell had expressed concern in recent weeks about the Tigers’ quick starts. He cited a blazing first mile at the Heptagonal championship as a probable cause of lack of finishing speed: Two Princeton runners were outsprinted at the end, barely preventing a perfect score. This week’s race featured the same aggressive start.

“The kids ran really tough,” Farrell said. “They paid a price for moving up so quickly, but they hung on.”

The Tigers withstood a late surge by Villanova and West Virginia to tie the Mountaineers for first place with a score of 51. Both teams qualified automatically for nationals, so there was no tiebreaking procedure.

“It’s weird; this is the second time we’ve tied this season,” standout freshman Alex Banfich said.

The Tigers tied No. 3 Florida State at the Pre-Nationals Invitational earlier this season.

Over the last mile of the race, Princeton’s formidable pack started to break up. The outcome was in serious doubt as several blue-and-yellow jerseys moved up to challenge the Tigers.

Costello entered the home stretch in third place but found an extra gear to overcome a considerable deficit. Grimacing down the final straightaway, she kicked her way into second place in a race in which every point mattered. Her time of 21 minutes, 15 seconds was impressive given the conditions and rumors that the course is slightly longer than the standard six-kilometer distance. After catching her breath, she expressed satisfaction with her race.

“I finished second last year, so I wanted second or better this year,” Costello said. “I can’t be unhappy with my race, but I’m eager to improve.”

Senior Jolee VanLeuven picked an excellent day to have her best race of the season. The veteran was second for the team after a spectacular race, and the Tigers needed every bit of her seventh-place finish.

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“We wanted to defend our title,” VanLeuven said.

VanLeuven did everything in her power to make sure that happened, as did Banfich, who captured 10th. Senior captain Megan Brandeland came in four seconds later, finishing 12th. It was hard to see how anyone could catch the Tigers at that point, but 24 agonizing seconds passed before their final scorer, junior Reilly Kiernan, crossed the line in 20th place. Kiernan is also a senior writer for The Daily Princetonian.

The mood was tense as teams waited for the scores to be tallied. There was a sense of relief when the tie was announced, yet Princeton’s runners insisted they were not satisfied to merely share their crown.

“Our team would like to take it up another notch for nationals,” Costello said.

The Tigers will have to work on running under control in the first mile, which will certainly be a point of emphasis in their preparation. Princeton’s strategy of pack-running, along with its depth, should help the team at nationals. If the Tigers hope to improve on their No. 4 ranking, however, they will need a near-perfect race to compete with heavy favorites Washington and Oregon from the Western region.

The men’s team entered its competition on the outside looking in. The Tigers, within three spots of a national ranking, hoped to upset higher-ranked teams such as Penn State and Villanova. There were no surprises in the final results, however. Georgetown dominated with an impressive score of 27, followed by the Nittany Lions, the Wildcats and the Tigers in fourth.

Senior Michael Maag — who finished second at this year’s Heptagonals — lived up to his pre-race billing. He finished fourth, covering the 10-kilometer course in 31:41. Princeton also enjoyed excellent productivity from its underclassmen. Freshman Brian Leung cracked the top 10 with a ninth-place finish, and sophomore Rob Speare took 25th. Maag and Leung both qualified for nationals by placing in the top four among individuals not already qualifying with a team.

“I have mixed feelings,” Maag said. “I’m obviously happy that I’m going to nationals, but our goal all season was to get to nationals as a team. It’s a good group of guys, and we’re close whether we win or lose.”

Senior Bryan Sharkey put forth one of his best efforts of the year, finishing fourth for the team and 52nd overall. Junior Ben Sitler was 55th, and senior Cameron Marantz was 61st. Sitler and Marantz — who normally finish higher for the team — both took the calculated risk of running toward the front of the pack in the opening miles. This tactic was likely necessary if the team hoped to qualify for nationals, but the energy they expended early in the race caught up with them by the finish.

“They ran exactly how we asked them to. They put themselves in the position they needed,” head coach Steve Dolan said. “It’s a great effort for Michael and Bryan. Rob Speare had a phenomenal race.”

There was some disappointment among this year’s seniors. Maag, Sharkey and Marantz have been a part of four Princeton squads that seriously challenged for a nationals berth yet were ultimately unable to break into the two automatic qualifying spots. It is unlikely that the men’s team will be awarded an at-large bid. The women, however, will be among the favorites on Nov. 24 when the NCAA Championships are held in Terre Haute, Ind.