Volume CXXXIII, Number 3 September 26, 2003 f

First year leads veteran runners at NYU meet
BEN PEISCH
STAFF WRITER

After an encouraging victory against Colby, the Bowdoin Men's Cross Country Team traveled to New York City last weekend to compete in the NYU Invitational. The men were matched up against the top competition on the East Coast, and despite their best efforts, the men came out flat and placed a disappointing 11th out of 36 teams.

Runners Steve Franklin '04 and Jordan Harrison '04 are two members looking to represent Bowdoin in the championship races. (Karsten Moran, Bowdoin Orient)

On the day of the race, the Bronx was surprisingly hot and humid. The tough weather should have played right into the paws of the Bears, who were planning on executing the same conservative battle plan that worked so effectively against Colby. Once again, the men started out the race at the back of the pack, but on this occasion they did not have the strength they needed to propel themselves to the front of the pack by the finish.

Owen McKenna '07 continued to excel for the Bears, placing 13th overall as the team's first finisher. Scott Herrick '04 was not too far behind in 38th place. Taylor Washburn '04 should have been in the "blind runners" division due to a gruesome contact lens fiasco, but he still managed to place 80th.

Washburn also helped to pull a visibly disoriented Ben Peisch '05 across the line for an 84th place finish. The fifth runner for the team was Eric Sofen '07, who ran very well en route to a 113th place finish. Jeb Bobseine '07 came in 150th place and Michael Record '06 in 153rd place rounded out the top seven for the Bears.

Although the team struggled in New York, their spirits are high. Bumps in the road are common for young teams, and the men still have plenty of time to analyze their performances and adjust their training for the championship season. The men plan on running well in November rather than September, so their best racing is still ahead of them. The team has the talent and work ethic necessary to challenge for supremacy in New England, but they have a lot of work to do.

The men have the next two weekends off, but they will be using them for hard training, not for rest and relaxation. The next meet for the men in black is Open New England, held in Franklin Park on October 11.

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