2009 D3 NCAA Cross Country Nationals

Here we find the rare XC fans in their natural habitat. At first glance crux terra fanaticus appears similar in form to many other species of sports fan. Like other forms they are quite willing to strip down to insufficient clothing in cold weather.

Where other fans might don beer helmets or dress as hotdogs the XC fans are more likely to costume themselves with the likeness of a starchy soft fruit with a ripeness color-indicator. However, this is not the XC fan's truly distinguishing characteristic.

No, crux terra fanaticus is recognized as a breed apart when they go tearing across the landscape en mass. My colleagues have suggested that this is a ritual meant to bestow good luck on the fanaticus's team of choice, but this anthropologist knows better.

Other sports fans assert dominance by exchanging wads of cash for valued seating from which to optimally view the athletic event. The XC fan has a different system that is more primitive yet enlightened. These noble savages implement an implicit meritocracy. They purchase optimal viewing positions with a combination of fleet feet, endurance, and strategy, not unlike the athletes they support. Here we see that some XC fans have chosen the far view from high ground while others have opted for a more crowded but close perspective.

Okay, that's all I got on that. On to the races.

The women took off under fairly ideal conditions. The air was chilly, but not cold. A uniformly gray sky kept its rain to itself. The only x-factor would be the terrain. The course was soggy and slick with mud. Half inch spikes were the order of the day for many runners, but the worst part was the hills.

It's a rolling course with some steep portions. The kind of course that is easy to pound your muscles into oblivion on if you're not paying attention and it's nationals so you'd be forgiven if your attention was a bit occupied.

The finishes were death marches for many. People were finishing as if in eighty degree heat instead of upper 40's. This was noticeable in both the men's and women's races.

The Williams women seemed to find their rhythm early and work together as a pack. Beyond that I haven't much to say. I wish I could provide a more detailed analysis, but for that you'll have to go here.

The men's race was like a scripted drama. It began with an introduction to the leaders. Strong favorite Peter Kosgei went out fast and Williams' Edgar Kosgey went right with him.

Then all seemed lost. Peter Kosgei and Ricky Flynn surged ahead. Edgar still looked smooth but dropped back within a dense chase pack. Anthony Raduazo (Williams' expected 5th man) dropped out due to breathing problems about half way through. Jeff Perlis (Williams' expected 2nd) tweaked his achilles on a bridge crossing early in the race, persevered only to have the injury take him out a quarter mile from the finish.

In the end, unexpectedly, deus ex machina: triumph! Edgar surged past all but one of the chase pack (and caught Peter Kosgei whose race blew up spectacularly as he fell back to 43rd place in the final 400 meters). Williams Sophomore Josephat Koima put in a big kick moving from beyond All American 35th all the way up to 26th. Senior captains Connor Kamm and Corey Watts ate up dozens of flagging runners in the second half of the race.

And last, but most important of all, Williams' expected 7th placer Mark Springel ran the race of his life at exactly the right time. Only five places score in XC. Mark was plan C and there was no plan D. Future Williams runners will forever point to this race as undeniable proof of the importance of the 6th and 7th runners.

Even with these Herculean efforts, no one expected that the Williams men would capture an incredible second place, especially considering that North Central had first all but locked up with their face-slappingly ridiculous seven All-American finishers.

Williams men's writeup

Williams women's writeup

NCAA Results

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