Cross Country Prepares for Ivy League Championships

Cross Country Prepares for Ivy League Championships Written By: Columbia University Athletics Release: 10/29/2009

NEW YORK – The leaves have started to change, and there’s a chill in the air, which can only mean one thing: the Ivy League Heptagonal Cross Country Championships, which take place annually at Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx, are upon us.

This Friday, October 30, the entirety of the Ivy League will descend upon Van Cortlandt Park, to participate in one of the most intense cross country meets in the nation. Close to 400 runners from every school in the Ancient Eight will take part in the meet, which has been at Van Cortlandt Park 61 of the last 62 years. And both the men and the women’s teams at Columbia have their eyes on the prize: a 2009 team championship.

Championship Information
The women will be up first, with their 5,000-meter race starting at 11:15 am, while the men's 5-mile race is slated to begin an hour later at 12:15 pm. The awards ceremony is scheduled to take place at 1:00 pm.

The park grounds are currently undergoing a series of renovations and this year's course will see significant changes. An updated course map and more information on the championships, including directions, are available here.

Scouting the League (Men)
Last year’s men’s race was up in the air right until the points were calculated. Princeton ended up with the team title, but Columbia was just three points behind the Tigers. This year’s race could be just as close, if not closer. Princeton is returning only two of their top five scorers, and graduated senior Michael Maag, who finished second last year. The Tigers will be looking to several underclassmen to step up, as Princeton’s roster has no seniors, and only four juniors. Also missing from the pack will be last year’s individual champion, Ben True of Dartmouth. But the Big Green, who finished fourth as a team, do have three of their top five back, and could be in contention to take the top spot. Cornell, last year’s third place finishers, return three of their top five scorers, and could also be a threat for the Lions and Tigers to keep an eye on.

Scouting the League (Women)
The 2008 women’s championship race was not as close as the men: Princeton dominated, taking first, third, fifth and six place, and nine of the top 11 spots. The Tigers return most of that squad, including senior Liz Costello, who took the individual title last year, shattering the meet record on the way. Princeton has also gained respect nationally, as the Tigers were ranked as high as fifth in the national polls this fall. But there are several teams in the League who have their eyes on the prize: Brown, who finished third last season, is one squad with a chance to make waves. The Bears lost only one of their top five scorers, and bring back the rest of a young squad from last year’s group. Cornell, who came in fourth last year, also has a decent group of returners, and will be hoping to help upset the Tigers. And Columbia, who came in second last season for the third consecutive year, will be looking to unseat Princeton, and take the top spot in the league.

Leading the Lions (Men)
Columbia returns a large part of last year’s team that had more All-Ivy honorees than any other school, including champion Princeton. Though the Lions lost Jeff Randall and Ross Turner, there’s a big group of underclassmen ready to step into their shoes. Last year’s top finisher, senior Thomas Poland is sidelined with an injury, but the Lions return junior Brendan Martin and senior Robert Hartnett, both of whom scored for Columbia last year. Head coach Willy Wood will also be looking to sophomores Kyle Merber, Justin Heck and Gary Brownell, juniors Anthony Merra and Terrance Prial, senior Ryan Withall and several others to step up and fill the holes. First-years Leighton Spencer and Benjamin Veilleux have had good falls thus far, and may be contributors in this week’s race. Though this Lions team is one of the deepest in recent memory, Columbia will need its top runners to break through the top 10 and place, earning valuable points that will help the pack, and keep the Tigers and the rest of the league at bay.

“I am very pleased with the progress we have made throughout the season,” Wood said. “I am confident that we will be at our best on Friday. Hopefully, that will be enough.”

Leading the Lions (Women)
Columbia finished second in the league last year, for the third consecutive year. This year, the Lions will be hoping to overcome early season injuries to repeat the feat. Coach Wood will be looking to senior Irena Ossola, and juniors Jacqueline Drouin and Julianne Quinn to anchor this year’s team. Drouin and Ossola are the only two returning scorers, as Columbia graduated Megan Lessard, Kari Higdem, and Alaina Miller, who made up the rest of the top five. Fellow senior Christina Henderson will expected to step up, along with junior Jillian Goodwin, and several first-year harriers, including Caroline McDonough, who competed at the Pre-National meet for Columbia earlier in the fall. Classmates Erica Pearson, Emily Lanois, and Camille Murphy will join her in the race.

“Our women have been a little banged up all season preventing us from ever really lining up our best team,” Wood said. “If we can do that [on Friday] and race with confidence we will be fine.”

For a complete preview on every team by the Ivy League office, click here.