By Allison Dadouris ‘14
Will Volkmann ‘13 cashed in on his summer training with a third place finish at last Friday’s Lehigh Invitational, leading the Lafayette Men’s Cross Country Team to second place.
The Leopards, finishing only behind Lehigh, had a few pleasant surprises in their season opener. Andrew Haff ‘15, injury plagued for much of last year, and newcomer Thomas Day ‘16, each registered top 30 finishes, helping supportVolkmann’s work up front.
“It was encouraging to see some of the younger guys run well,” Volkmann said. “We were definitely anxious to race and see exactly what kind of shape everyone was in.”
Rounding out the top five was Andrew Warshauer ‘15 in 39th and Chris Parker ‘13 in 47th, contributing to a 19:33 team average over the 6K course.
“I’d say this race was a big confidence booster for our team,” Haff said. “This race showed the potential our team has to put together a solid top five.” With three underclassmen in the top five, a core is forming for future years.
The women didn’t fare as well, finishing sixth. Co-captain Rose Willey ‘14 led the squad finishing 12th, Stephanie Benko‘16, competing in her first ever cross country race, finished 27th, and definitely noticed the increased distance.
“I have to say I surprised myself with how I did,” Benko, primarily a two-miler, said. “I started to feel it, but I was able to ignore the heat and finish strong for the team.”
Following Willey and Benko was Katy Culver ‘16 in 50th, Zoe Nagasing ‘16 in 54th, and co-captain Julissa Muschlitz ‘13 in 58th. The team averaged 24:44, finishing behind West Chester, Mount St. Mary’s, Muhlenberg, Kutztown, Lehigh, and champion Delaware.
Both squads recorded seventh place finishes in last year’s Patriot League Championships, a finish they hope to improve upon this year. Benko is already looking toward the next meet and for personal and team improvement.
Cross country will head back to Lehigh one week from today for the annual Lafayette-Lehigh dual meet and again two weeks later for the coveted Paul Short Invitational.