Elizabethtown College’s men and women’s cross country teams competed at Hood College located in Fredrick, Md. this past weekend.
The men’s team was able to take the win on Saturday while racing without their full team on the course. Junior Dan Gresh took second place overall at the meet and first for Etown on the 8,000-meter course. He finished with a time of 27:33.2. Following Gresh, and third at the meet overall, was first-year Jon Anderson with a time of 27:55.7. First-year Patrick Jones finished in a time of 28:19.7 and took third for Etown and fifth overall. Etown took first place with Gettysburg College in second, Hood College in third, Marymount University in fourth and Stevenson University in fifth.
Senior Ian Hamilton talked about their success at the Hood College Open and about what he expects of the team at the championships. “We sat the majority of the varsity guys to rest up for MAC and it was really great to see Jon Anderson have a huge personal record in the 8k,” Hamilton said. “It’s going to take everything we have to secure the MAC title this year, but I’m confident we will do it.”
The women’s team took second place this past weekend racing on a 6,000-meter course next to Gettysburg in first, Marymount who took third, Hood taking fourth and Stevenson in fifth place. First-year Amy Gessler was the first runner for the Blue Jays to cross the finish line and came in fourth overall. Gessler finished with a time of 24:50.5, with first-year Caitlin Pysher finishing in 25:42.2, senior Alexandra Christ in 25:47.5 and first-year Monica Venturella in 25:54.2.
“I was really proud that the team did so well,” Christ said. “Based on last week’s tough conditions in Ohio, everyone seemed eager to make their last race of the season memorable and give it all they had.” This was also the last race that Christ will race competitively as a Blue Jay. “I am honored to run on this team, because they are the most dedicated, supportive and inspirational people I have ever met,” she said. “[My teammates] made taking off my spikes a bittersweet feeling. Cross country can be very grueling on your body, but the pain was always worth it in the end because I got to see my teammates every day and they inspired me to become the best runner I could be. You can’t find a desire like that from anyone; it has to come from special people who are in your heart.”
The men and women’s cross country teams will be racing at the Middle Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championships for the last time on Nov. 2 at 11 a.m. before switching conferences.