The Hamilton Cross Country Teams performed strongly in their first meet of the season on Saturday, Sept. 11. Hosting six schools, the Hamilton course began with a funnel-shaped passage, encouraging runners to start quickly and not get pushed to the back of the pack early in the race. The Short Course Invitational featured shorter courses than will be seen later in the season — five kilometers for the men and four for the women as opposed to the traditional eight and six — but the Hamilton runners ran impressive times that bode well for the rest of the fall season.
Liza Greene ’22 and Mia Schiel ’22 scored top-10 finishes for the women’s team. They finished less than 2 seconds apart, running 15:20 and 15:22, respectively. Even with a course that features hills and mostly grass, our ladies triumphed with times that equate to a pace just over 6:10 per mile.
The women’s team showcased their depth with several younger high-placing finishers. In their first college cross country race, Betsy Overstrum ’24 and Silvie Najarian ’25 finished 17th and 23rd, respectively. Overall, the women’s team placed third behind Ithaca College and St. Lawrence University.
The men’s team delivered an upset meet victory over the higher-ranked Ithaca and St. Lawrence, landing four runners in the top 10: Andrew Harrell ’23, Brendan Magill ’23, Bram Mansbach ’24 and George Brady ’23. Harrell and Magill ranked top 5 and clocked in fewer than 10 seconds behind the race winner.
Nick Lyon ’22 and Max Steffey ’22 finished eleventh and twelfth, putting six Continentals in the top 12.
Lyon commented in last week’s issue of
The Spectator
that the team’s promise is especially high this season. He also mentioned that the preseason rankings undercut the team’s talent consistently and that he and others were excited to prove them wrong.
Each year, the Short Course Invitational offers free apple pies to the top 10 finishers in each race. This year, the Continentals brought in six pies, narrowly missing out on two others.
The majority of the season lies ahead, offering more chances for strong performances like Saturdays. If the first meet was any indication, Hamilton’s runners will be turning in great times at the next race — the Purple Valley Classic at Williams College on Saturday, Sept. 25 — and beyond.