Author: Riley Kimball
Two Saturday’s ago, both men’s and women’s cross country teams competed in NCAA West Region Championships. Competing at Willamette University’s home course of Bush Park in Salem, Oregon, the men placed fourth in the West, and women earned the 11th spot.
Both teams had strong showings this year despite losing many seniors. Every runner on the men’s team achieved a personal record, and Eric Kleinsasser, Keith Blumenfeld and Clay Hoadley all qualified for the national competition.
Team captain David Martinez (senior) attributes this success to the camaraderie of the team. “When we race, we’re not just pushing for ourselves but also for one another,” Martinez said. “So when the race becomes difficult and you want to slow down, you realize that you’re in it for the team, and it causes you to make sacrifices and do things you normally wouldn’t do for yourself.”
This teamwork helped the men to put their top four runners across the finish line in the top 20. First-year Eric Kleinsasser, who placed fourth overall, noted two particular efforts that pushed the team to its strong finish. “Significant standout performances were done by David Martinez and Will Moseley. They made huge leaps and were a major reason that the team did how it did,” Kleinsasser said.
The women’s team also produced under pressure. This year, runners worked in groups to push each other through a race, finishing within seconds of one another. Rachel Keylon (senior) still felt that there was room for improvement here, though. “We haven’t come together as a women’s team,” Keylon said. “Many of the women felt like they were running for themselves not for a team this year.” However, she noted that the beauty and fun of the course itself would surely reignite the team for years to come. The Oregon weather formed a significantly more hospitable environment for running. “I think this race was a reminder to a lot of people about why they love to run cross country,” she said. With clouds of smoke forming over Los Angeles, it’s not hard to understand why.
Both teams overcame losses of top runners from last year. Despite the absence of five men and four women, the teams rallied the talent of past runners and newcomers to place well.Keylon recognized such drive and dedication in some of her teammates. “Grace [Peck (junior)] did a great job, she really went out there and raced. Anna Dalton [(freshman)] also really pushed herself and raced hard, especially in the last half of the race,” she said. The men’s team faced the additional challenge of an injured fifth man, Sebastian Devlin-Foltz (freshman). Devlin-Foltz overcame his injury to set a personal best, and Will Moseley (freshman) stepped up to fill the fifth spot. The efforts of both teams set a positive tone for future seasons.
The strong performances by both teams contributed to the dethroning of Willamette University on their home course. Willamette’s women’s team has won the West Region race five years in a row and whose men have won six years running. This year, however, both Willamette teams placed third in the region. The men placed three runners above Willamette’s first. Women helped push back Willamette by breaking up their packs. Overall, both teams overcame large obstacles to represent Oxy well on the regional stage, and their performances showed promise for coming years.
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