Men’s cross country captures Ivy title at Heps

Columbia runners continued their tradition of success on Friday at the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. The men took home the team title—and accompanying first annual Jeffrey H. Orleans Trophy—besting the rest of the Ancient Eight and defeating Princeton by the slimmest of margins, 60-61. The women exceeded pre-race expectations with an impressive run of their own, earning a spot on the podium at third.

The men’s victory was the realization of a recently elusive goal. “They have suffered a few narrow, single-digit defeats, finishing second, over the past few years,” head coach Willy Wood said. “It was great to be on this side of a close one finally.” Though a perennial force within the League, the title is only the third for the men amid many runner-up and top-three finishes. Princeton took second while Dartmouth and Cornell tied for third with 90 points each at this year’s meet.

A pair of Long Island natives, junior Brendan Martin and sophomore Kyle Merber, led the way for the men, finishing fifth and eighth and earning first and second team all-Ivy honors, respectively. It was Martin’s second all-Ivy commendation and an improvement for Merber upon his showing at last year’s meet. The two will certainly be names to look out for as individual title contenders in 2010.

Perhaps the most surprising finish on the men’s side came from junior Terence Prial. Prial has risen through the ranks this October, sparked by a victory in the open race at the NCAA Pre-National meet on Oct. 17. As somewhat of a dark horse, his 12th-place finish was an unexpected but necessary coup. “Historically, our program has achieved a great deal of success based on the reliance of a miracle race of one or more of our runners,” Wood said. “This year was no different. Terence Prial was our miracle on 34th Street this year.”

However, in such a tight race, each position was absolutely critical. Indeed, after the first three had crossed the finish, Columbia trailed Princeton by five points. Sophomore Justin Heck followed right behind Prial at 15th to narrow the gap to two points and junior Anthony Merra rounded out the top five at 20th, finally turning the tide in favor of the Light Blue. “This was a complete team effort and victory,” Wood said. “If one guy would have been passed by one person, we would have only tied. Our runners finished so hard. We were blowing by opposing runners over the last 400m.”

Junior Matthew Ciambriello and sophomore Andy Buchanan finished 25th and 28th out of the field of 92, while senior Bobby Hartnett had an off day at 33rd, compared to last year’s 13th-place finish. Sophomore Gary Brownell was 37th. Freshmen Mike Murphy, Ben Veillieux, and Leighton Spencer were 39th, 40th, and 44th and gained valuable race experience for future Heps.

The women were predicted to finish fifth at this year’s meet. Nonetheless, they came in with high personal expectations, seeking to continue their string of top-two performances over the last nine years. Spectacular runs were turned in by the top seven. A no. 4-ranked Princeton group won its fourth consecutive title with an unprecedented perfect score of 15 points, while Harvard slipped ahead of the Lions for the second position. “A third-place finish for us on Friday was an outstanding accomplishment,” Wood said. “Harvard had soundly defeated us two weeks prior by over 200 points at the Pre-National meet. We closed the gap to six at Heps.”

Juniors Jackie Drouin and Julie Quinn were a solid one-two punch for Columbia, finishing eighth and 10th and earning second team all-Ivy. Drouin continued her role as team leader while Quinn solidified her position as one of the top competitors to emerge within the league. The two should also be on the short list for individual title competitors next year.

Senior Christina Henderson demonstrated true longevity, capping off an excellent Ivy career at 14th, good for second team all-Ivy. “The progress she has made over four years is awe-striking,” Wood said. “She is everything that we could ask for in a senior, truly an inspiration.”
The class of 2013 proved deserving of all the hype as freshmen Emily Lanois, Camille Murphy, and Caroline McDonough were Columbia’s four-six at 18th, 25th, and 30th. “To have three of them in our top six was an incredible accomplishment on their part,” Wood said. “Emily Lanois and Camille Murphy saved us on Friday. This class is going to be very good.”

Junior Hannah Kligman was the seventh Lion, finishing in 37th place, while upperclassmen Irena Ossola, Jill Goodwin, and Erin Hays struggled at 57th, 68th, and 69th. Freshman Erica Pearson rounded out the Lion squad at 71st.

Columbia cross country has regularly been a top program within the university and has made a name for itself as a team to beat within the league. The performances at this year’s Heptagonal meet and the composition of both squads signify one thing: there is plenty more to come.