By Eileen Baer
Special to the Denisonian
While the rainy weather was not ideal, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams placed highly at the North Coast Athletic Conference Preview on Sept. 12.
Kenyon College’s 5k course proved to be a fast one for the Big Red, as the men’s team placed second overall and the women’s team placed third overall, both of which were improvements from their races on Sept. 5.
The men’s team totaled 93 points. Drake Lohnes ’17 from Alliance, Ohio and Sam Beech ‘16 from Bexley, Ohio finished in 13th and 14th place, respectively. Lohnes clocked in at 16:39.8, with Beech right behind him.
Concerning both team and individual goals, Lohnes has high aspirations for this season. “We are looking to finish top three in the conference and to finish in the top ten at our regional meet,” the junior said. “Individually, I am trying to consistently be a top five runner on the team, and to stay healthy for the season.”
The men’s team will be racing at Kenyon College again on Oct. 31 for the NCAC Championship. “It was important that we got to race at Kenyon, because it is the site of our conference championship,” Beech said. Even though the conference meet will be an 8k instead of a 5k, knowing what to expect of the course’s terrain will be advantageous for the Big Red.
The NCAC Preview proved to be just as successful for the women’s cross country team. Emily Lamm ’16 from Pittsburgh was first to cross the finish line for the Big Red, clocking in at 19:08.3 and finishing second overall. Following closely behind her, Kate Benson ’16 from Bemus Point, N.Y. placed sixth overall.
Even just two meets in, the women’s team is showing their strength with the third place finish. Lamm is confident that the rest of the season will continue to be successful.
“Overall, our team has a strong dynamic that’s cohesive and enthusiastic,” she said. “We’ve been training well together, and I have every expectation that we’ll be successful by the time the NCAC Championship arrives.”
The women’s NCAC Championship will also be held at Kenyon College. Running that course this weekend gave the team a good preview to the 6k race they will be running on Oct. 31.
Mollie Evans ’16 from Lakewood, Ohio thinks racing on this course again for the conference championship will work in the team’s favor. “It is really flat, which is nice because it’s easier and faster to run on,” she said.
The Big Red’s next race is the Rose-Hulman Pre-Regional Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind. on Sept. 26.