The Observer, December 1, 2006
Volume XXXIX, Issue 12
Women runners conclude dream season
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It was a bittersweet ending for senior co-captains Karyn Wheeler and Stephanie Nothelle, as the women's cross country team concluded its triumphant season with a 10th-place finish at the national meet in Wilmington, Ohio.
The Spartans scored 295 points, and Middlebury College won the national championship with 144. Top finishers for the Spartans were Nothelle, 33rd with a time of 23:53, Esther Erb, 34th (23:54), Kristen Bowhers, 62nd (24:25), and Wheeler, 73rd (24:35). Nothelle and Erb also earned All-American honors.
"We would have liked to place higher at the national meet, but I think in light of the conditions and the fact that it was our first national meet, we are very proud of being in the top 10 in the nation," said Nothelle.
The expectations were high for the team going into the season, but no one could have guessed the success that the women would have.
"It was better than I expected going into the season, but we didn't do quite as well as we had hoped after such a successful season," Erb said in response to the team's 10th-place finish.
Coach Kathy Lanese was not disappointed by her team's performance.
"I was going into nationals with the mindset, 'wouldn't it be great to finish top ten in the nation?'" she said. "I was completely satisfied with our finish."
The combination of the toughness of the national course along with the muddy conditions from the previous night's downpour created some of the toughest conditions the runners had ever seen.
"I felt the course was ridiculous, and the mud made it completely unlike any other race I've ever run in my life," Wheeler said. "I don't think I've ever felt so horrible after a race before. It was so unnatural, exhausting, and frustrating because I couldn't get into the rhythm of running. I was just trying to keep from falling or getting stuck in the mud the whole time."
The weather was not the only thing that held the Spartans back, as the competition at nationals was unlike anything they had seen throughout the season.
"There is no comparison to UAA's or regionals because I'm used to running pretty much alone by the second mile," Wheeler said. "At nationals the competition was so much more intense and there were so many more people that I felt like I was in a pack during the whole race."
Regardless of the struggle due to the conditions, a tenth-place finish at nationals represents quite an achievement and a nice way to finish the season for the women.
"It was an extremely satisfying [season] for the team and myself," Lanese said. "The team's accomplishments were astonishing with the first-ever UAA and NCAA regional wins. Both the team and I finished the season without regret and accomplished more than we originally thought possible."
Perhaps even more importantly, the ladies remembered to have fun and enjoy both their success and each other along the way.
"I will never forget piling into the elevator in St. Louis with clown noses and big sunglasses on, or our huge mud fight after the national race," she said. "We are definitely the most fun team in the nation, and that's more important to me anything else."
The end of the season means the beginning of new endeavors for the graduating seniors. Wheeler plans on attending graduate school to get her Ph.D. in Psychology, and Nothelle wants to attend medical school, with an interest in pediatrics.
With all of the success the women have had this year, the mind can only imagine what they will be able to do next year.
