Author: Chris Nelson
The Men’s Cross Country team performed well this weekend, finishing 18th of 32 teams in the Divison III National Championship in Northfield, Minnesota. Kevin Chaves (senior) led the way for the Tigers with a time of 24:47 on the 8K course, good enough for seventh overall as an individual. Alex “Fatty” Ramon (senior) completed the course in 24:59, which earned him 15th overall. Chaves and Ramon both received All-American honors for their performances. Maddie Weissman (sophomore) represented the women’s team at nationals as an individual qualifier. Weissman completed the 6K course in 23:18, finishing 154th of 280 individual competitors.
The Tiger runners are pleased with their performance at nationals. “Going into the Western Regional Championship we didn’t even exist on the lists,” Ramon said. “Going into the Nationals meet we were ranked 19th. Doing better than your national ranking is always the goal and as a team we worked together to achieve it.”
The competition was stiff at the National Championship, with the top 280 Division III runners participating in the competition. Oxy’s performance was particularly impressive as they finished ahead of the top West regional qualifier Willamette, a team that Oxy finished second to only a week before at regionals. “As a team, everyone is happy that we were able to accomplish this but we still expect so much more of ourselves,” Ramon said. “While 18th is something to be proud of for the moment, the next generation of Oxy distance runners are hungry to do more.”
Both Ramon and Chaves are proud of their All-American honors. “Of course I’m really happy that I was able to run well last Saturday,” Chaves said. “It feels good to bring home the hardware.”
“To be an All-American is huge for me personally,” Ramon said. “To be top 15 and on the heals of my major competition for the steeplechase while coming off of an injury gives me renewed confidence that I can toe the line and bring a hard race to the fastest field of steeplechasers that Division III has seen in a long time.”
Ramon’s performance was all the more impressive in that the National Championship was only his second race back after tearing his planter fascia. “This experience made me realize how important the sport is to me and that I will never take it for granted like I have in the past,” Ramon said. “My injury is what we could call a blessing in disguise. John Sweet and Travis Owens (Oxy’s athletic trainers) were absolutely key to my recovery and my being able to represent the Tigers in Minnesota last weekend.”
Maddie Weissman’s National Championship was quite different because she was running as an individual rather than with her team, but that does not mean she wasn’t thinking of her teammates. “The team has worked so hard this year,” Weissman said. “I feel that by making it to nationals as an individual, I was running to show all of our hard work. The team pushed me and made me a better runner. I was glad to not only represent the women’s cross country team but women’s sports at Oxy in general.”
Weissman is proud of her performance at nationals, but she thinks she will be able to do even better in the years to come. “I am pleased with my performance at the meet although I feel I could have done much better,” Weissman said. “This performance lets me know that I have much room to improve my racing and I will build on this great experience next year.”
Representing the Men’s Cross Country team at Nationals were Chaves, Ramon, Keith Blumenfeld (junior), Galen Smith (senior), David Martinez (junior), Richard Infantino (first-year), and Robby Nelson (senior). Although the team that Occidental fielded at the National Championship is rather seasoned, with four of the seven being seniors, do not expect a let down after the class of 2008 graduates.
“We’re losing a lot of seniors, but that’s OK,” Chaves said. “Somehow I still think we’ll be a better team next year—though it might be a while before the results start reflecting that improvement in a way those outside the immediate running community will recognize.”
Ramon echoed Chaves’ feeling about the future of the program. “While it is a major hit to the program to lose four seniors from your scoring top seven, I think the Occidental harriers are in a great place right now,” Ramon said. “There is a new generation of runners coming through the ranks that I think are ready to make the commitment to continue the strong tradition that the seniors have established. Also, being nationally ranked has definitely caused some very good runners to take a serious look at Oxy’s distance team.”
With the strong tradition established by the upperclassmen runners and high standard set by both the men’s and women’s team this season, Occidental will continue to be a force in SCIAC, regionally, and nationally for years to come.
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