Freshman Joe Newcomb’s got four stitches after last Saturday’s GLIAC meet.
Newcomb was spiked in the first mile of the men’s 8000 meter race at Houghton last weekend. He finished the race, however, coming fourth for his team, helping Hillsdale College to a third place overall finish at the meet. The women’s team finished fourth for their 6000 meter race.
Grand Valley State University took the meet for both the men and the women with 21 and 30 points respectively. Malone University edged out the men for second and Hillsdale tied with Ashland University at 119 points. The women scored 136, placing behind Saginaw Valley State University’s 84 and Malone’s 113.
Next weekend, the teams will travel back to Kenosha, Wisc., where they’ll jockey for a berth in the national meet. The top-four men’s teams and top-four women’s teams advance.
Junior Joshua Mirth led the men, as per usual, finishing eighth in a time of 25:38. Senior Victoria McCaffrey led the women, running one of her best races of the year in 23:05. She finished 20th.
The course was tough with unrelenting and steep hills that led to slow times. Coaches and runners agreed Houghton’s course was by far the toughest of the year.
Still, the men’s team thrived.
“The course didn’t hurt us as much as everyone else,” Mirth said.
Fellow juniors Luke Hickman,13th, and Jack Butler, 24th, followed close behind Mirth. Hickman ran 25:51 and Butler ran 26:10. Next for the team came Newcomb, 36th, in 26:36. Junior Matt Perkins, who rounded out Hillsdale’s top five in 38th with a time of 26:42.
All this considered, coaches said the men are ready for regionals.
“The mentality is there, the bodies will be ready to roll,” assistant coach R.P. White said.
The women were a little subdued about their GLIAC performance. Head coach Andrew Towne said the race was solid for the team, although generally they were disappointed.
McCaffrey said her own race was good but not great. Behind her came sophomore Emily Oren, 23rd in 23:22, followed closely by her sister freshman Molly Oren, who finished 24th five seconds later.
Next came senior Chelsea Kilgore, whom Towne said ran the race of her life. She ran a time of 23:42 and placed 33rd. Sophomore Kristina Galat, 36th, finished fifth for the team in 23:44.
If the team runs at regionals like they did at GLIACs, they’ll be right on the bubble for a nationals spot. Despite their conference meet setback, Towne thinks the regionals meet will go better.
“I guarantee you they’ll be ready to go in a week and a half,” Towne said.
The NCAA Division II Regional Meet begins Nov. 9 at 11:30 a.m.
