The AU Men's Cross Country team easily snagged its third straight Patriot League title Saturday at the PL championships in Lewisburg, Pa.
Senior Pat McAdie seized the individual title by completing the 5-mile course in 25:37.00. But he was only a portion of the big story - one-quarter of it, to be exact.
McAdie, sophomore Brendan Fennell, senior Sean Duffy and freshman Stephen Hallinan finished first through fourth, respectively, marking the Eagles' most dominant showing in the PL championships in their history in the league.
"Before the race, our thought was to come out of it ready for regionals," McAdie said. "We knew unless we really messed up, we were going to win the team title. So before the race we had all decided I would take the win if we were all there during the last mile."
Fennell ran perhaps the best race of the four, and was in the lead after the three-mile mark, but was reeled in by his Eagle teamates before the race's end. He still finished second.
"Brendan Fennell was there every step of the way," McAdie said. "To be honest, he had a better race than me."
Battling a hilly, soggy course, times weren't quite as fast as last year's meet in Easton, Pa. Duffy actually suffered a fall two miles into his run, but recovered to finish third.
"More than a couple of guys fell," McAdie said of the conditions. "There were some treacherous parts. We just had to be careful."
While the Eagles enjoyed the team win, their bigger target is the upcoming NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional meet, in State College, Pa., on Nov. 13. And while winning the title was important, not losing momentum going into regionals was perhaps more essential.
"When I was a freshman, we finished third," McAdie said. "Guys here are thinking bigger now. Since running against Navy (at the beginning of the season), our whole goal has been to start to think big.
"We think nationals is a big possibility for us as a team and for some of us as individuals."
Meanwhile, the AU Women's Cross Country team also ran well, but failed to win its third straight title, settling for third place in its 6-kilometer race - a distance just short of four miles.
"We went in with the goal of winning," junior Keira Carlstrom said, "so obviously we're a little disappointed. But everyone did their best."
Carlstrom captured her second individual PL title in as many years, blowing away the competition while completing her run in 21:44.39. Her nearest competitor, Lehigh's Jen Schappert, finished 1:09 behind. Last year, Carlstrom finished 43 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
"It's a lot more relaxing," Carlstrom said of holding a substantial lead. "I don't have to worry about anyone else. But it's not for everyone. But the best way to race is to be a competitive racer. Anyone can run by your self."
Meanwhile, fellow junior Zaia Wharton finished in fourth place, in 23:00.59, and sophomore Kelley Taylor finished 17 second behind that in seventh place.
Like the men, the women's team also has its sights set on the regional meet, Carlstrom said.
The AU women did finish with the best average time among their top five runners. But with senior Whitney McNees and freshman Juliette Lynch finishing in 26th and 27th, respectively, their extra points left the Eagles with more points than Army, which won the meet, and Navy.
The top five runners from each school receive the same number of points as the place they finish. The team with the lowest combined points for their top five runners wins the meet.
"All season it's been a big circle," Carlstrom said of the PL. "Army beat Navy, Navy beat us, we beat Bucknell, and Bucknell beat one of them. We knew it would be interesting to see who would pull away."
AU won the women's PL title in 2002 and 2003. Their lowest finish in their four-year PL history came in 2001, when the Eagles took fifth place.
