The AU Men's Cross Country will be represented at the national cross country meet for the first time since 1971 after finishing second at the Mid-Atlantic Regional on Saturday, and junior Keira Carlstrom qualified for her second national championship by finishing second in her event.
The Eagles flew out in a strong pack, staying tight the entire race, as only 23 seconds separated their first and fifth runners. Sophomore Brendan Fennel led the pack with a ninth-place finish at 30:47 in a 10-kilometer course.
Carlstrom finished in second place at the Mid-Atlantic Regional with a time of 20:37 over a 6-kilometer course. Carlstrom finished 16th in last year's national tournament.
"Our pack was so tight, it's what we've been doing all year," said sophomore Steve Hallinan. "It's not about who's our number one runner, as long as we do it together ... as long as we come out on top." Hallinan finished second for the Eagles, placing 11th overall (30:51).
Seniors Sean Duffy and Pat MacAdie followed Hallinan, finishing 12th (30:52) and 13th (30:54), respectively. Junior Phil Gaeta rounded out the Eagles' top five scorers with an 18th-place (31:09) finish.
Georgetown won the men's meet with 49 points. The Eagles were close behind with 63. When the Eagles compete in the NCAA championship meet next Monday, it will mark the first time since 1999 that both Georgetown and Villanova haven't both represented the Mid-Atlantic Region. Villanova fell to fifth place after being predicted as a pre-race favorite
"It's a huge step for us," MacAdie said, who won his second straight PL title two weeks ago. "The race itself was kind of anticlimactic in that Villanova was never in the race."
The Eagles have progressed year after year since the team's reinstatement in 1994 under head coach Matt Centrowitz. The men have had great success in the Patriot League, winning the past three championships.
"It brought a tear to my eye to sit back and think that three years ago, we were 10th in the region and third in the conference," Duffy said. "Now we have won three conference titles and second in the region, it's just kind of something special."
The Eagles ran at or near the front of the pack throughout the entire race. Fennell took a lead after the second mile, which pushed the pace and thinned out the enormous group of runners from 23 schools.
Looking ahead, MacAdie said he sees this as a major stepping-stone for the program. "In my four years I've seen a total turnaround," he said. "We've got a group of guys who are ready to keep doing this."
At the national meet, which will be held in Terre Haute, Ind., the Eagles plan on employing the same pack mentality that has been so successful so far. "We have to get in and stick our noses in with the big dogs," said Hallinan. "We're going to pack it up and push the pace and work on making the top 15 as a team."
For Carlstrom, qualifying for nationals is something she's accustomed to. At the meet Saturday, Carlstrom said she was not worried about her place as long as she was among the top individuals headed for nationals. "No one remembers who finished where at regional. They remember nationals," she said.
Carlstrom looks to improve on her all-American performance as she heads to Terre Haute with the men's team.
"I have gone through it all before, so I know the routine. I'm really happy, and I'm so exited about having a team to go with this year," Carlstrom said, who along with junior Zaia Wharton were the only AU women represented at the regional meet. "The guys have kind of said you're part of our team, and it makes me feel really good."
In the words of Centrowitz, MacAdie said the Eagles are "in the bonus category" with their trip to nationals. He said the pressure was on them to qualify and now they can just go do their best. The 1971 Eagles team finished 19th. MacAdie said it is a real possibility for this team to have the best national finish in school history.
"Being top ten at nationals is not out of the question," MacAdie said. "We have to run our hearts out and lay it on the line"
