Volume CXXXIII, Number 2 September 19, 2003 f

Young legs & veterans make a winning combo
BEN PEISCH
STAFF WRITER

Bowdoin runners Andrew Combs '06, and Patrick Hughes '05 pick up the tempo up a hill. Combs and Hughes helped to seal a Bowdoin victory. (Photo by Kevin Doyle)

Last Saturday, Bowdoin Men's Cross Country Team had their first meet of the season at Colby College. The weather was hot, the hills were tall, but the victory was sweet for the Polar Bears. A well-designed battle plan by incomparable head coach Peter Slovenski helped the team to a decisive 34-40 victory over the White Mules of Colby and Laval College of Quebec.

The scene on the starting line was tense. Colby ruthlessly mocked Bowdoin great Patrick Vardaro by copying his intimidating signature style of wearing his racing singlet as a cape. The Bears maintained their composure, however, and refused to succumb to the Mules' twisted mind games as they toed the line. The gun went off, and immediately, the Bears were presented with another situation that could have easily broken their concentration. After an opening cheer in French, Laval College shocked everyone by choosing not to surrender at the sound of gunfire! While the crowd marveled at the unexpected turn of events, Colby's men blasted into the lead. Meanwhile, the Polar Bears lingered 300 meters behind, patiently waiting. As the race wore on, when the runners from Laval and Colby became weary, the men in black pounced and began viciously cutting down their adversaries with aplomb.

When the cloud of dust, blood, sweat, and (in Aaron Goldstein's '05 case) tears, cleared, Colby and Laval were vanquished. The Bears were led by the one-two punch of Scott Herrick '04 and first year sensation Owen McKenna, while the tight pack of Patrick Hughes '05, Taylor Washburn '04, and Andrew Combs '06 sealed the victory. Also competing extremely well was sophomore Michael Record, who was the team's seventh runner. Record executed his race to near perfection.

The race was an excellent experience for the young team. The men ran perfectly according to plan, which shows the men are willing to work together to be successful. A victory over Colby is no small accomplishment, either. The Mules have fielded their strongest team in years, and many cross-country pundits believed that Colby was the pre-season favorite to defeat the Bears. The men in black are not pausing to revel in victory, however. They have lots of miles left to run. Hopefully, by the end of the season, the victory on Saturday will be but a small stepping-stone on the path to much greater accomplishments.

The men's and women's cross country teams will be traveling to the Bronx this weekend to compete in the New York University Invitational at Van Cortland Park. The men will face a pantheon of top teams, and will look to continue to gain valuable experience running together against top competition.

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