BENNINGTON, Vt. – The last two months have been entirely in preparation for this Saturday for the Southern Vermont College men's and women's cross country teams as the Mountaineers are ready to compete for their respective titles at the New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) championship meet.
The men's squad is looking to capture its fourth-straight league crown while the women's team has its sights on its first NECC championship and first league title since it won the Great Northeast Athletic Conference meet in 2001; the SVC women placed second overall as a crew last year for their best collective finish since that '01 race.
Both championship competitions will take place at Stanley Park in Westfield, Mass. for the fifth consecutive year. The men's 8,000 meter race will go off at 1:30 p.m. with the women's 5,000 meter event following at 2:30 p.m.
Southern Vermont Men's Cross Country
The SVC men's side has three runners who be making at least their second championship appearance at Stanley Park while three Mountaineers are going to be new to the scene.
Last year, Southern Vermont scored 21 team points—topping a second-place Regis College squad by 23. Four of the harriers collected All-NECC First Team accolades while another two made it onto the All-NECC Second Team.
"We have talked about winning conference over the course of the season," first-year SVC head coach Jarrett Blankenship said. "As long as each individual races up to their potential, then I see no reason why we shouldn't four-peat this weekend. We will rely heavily on Isaiah [Backels] and Jackson [Amankrah] to have solid races and bring our team score down."
Senior captain Marc Brandmeyer (Bennington, Vt.) is expected to lead the men once again and hopes to finish his NECC career with a perfect 4-for-4 in individual championships. Last year, when he finished first overall for the third-straight time, he crossed the line with a mark of 26:56. His fastest showing so far this season was a 27:57 at Western New England University's Golden Bear Invitational on October 14. Brandmeyer has been named the NECC Runner of the Week three times this year.
SVC sophomore Davanté Smith (Ellenville, N.Y.) placed third overall at the 2016 championship to claim All-NECC First Team honors as he crossed the Stanley Park line at 27:59. His best time to date this season was on September 30 when he finished the Keene State Invitational at 28:39; Smith collected his first-career NECC Runner of the Week award for that performance.
Southern Vermont junior Isaiah Backels (Derry, N.H.) returns to Westfield for the second time in his career after placing 19th overall with a 31:21 during his 2015 freshman season. His fastest mark this year was a 32:34 which he posted at the Golden Bear Invitational.
First-time Mountaineers competing in their inaugural league championships include Bennington College freshman C.G. Holden (Pittsburgh, Pa.), SVC junior Jackson Amankrah (New York City, N.Y.), and Southern Vermont freshman Orlando Guichardo (New York, N.Y.). Holden has been named the NECC Rookie of the Week once this year—an honor he picked up after he notched a 28:57 at Keene for what has been his best time of the season. Amankrah and Guichardo have both continued getting better over the course of the campaign with multiple personal bests coming from each runner; they both set a new PR at SVC's latest race—chalking up a 35:53 and a 47:11, respectively, at Western New England.
"The guys' last few workouts have shown great promise for not only this weekend—but what is to come for SVC Cross Country on the men's side," Blankenship added. "They are enthusiastic for the challenge and excited to run on the fastest course they've raced on all season."
Southern Vermont Women's Cross Country
The Southern Vermont women's squad sees a pair of runners—who were excellent at last year's Conference championship—return to the Western Mass course. Those two will be complemented by five new Mountaineers who are in position to make a great impact on the team's scoring.
SVC tallied 49 total points at the '16 meet—finishing just 13 behind the championship-winning Regis group. A pair of Mountaineers made it onto the All-NECC First Team at that meet with another two making their way to the All-NECC Second Team.
"We have the potential to not only match our placing from last year—but improve and win our first NECC title," Blankenship said. "In order to win, our 3-through-5 placing runners will need to pack well near the front and have a small margin between each other. If the women can control their races and are willing to be uncomfortable for their teammates, then we realistically have a shot."
Bennington College senior Annika Kristiansen (Keene, N.H.) had the best-ever 5K performance by a Mountaineer at last year's title race as she broke the long-standing school record with a 20:03; that saw her make it onto the All-NECC First Team with a fourth-place finish. Bennington classmate Isabella Poulos (Milwaukee, Wis.) was right behind at 20:08 to take fifth and also grab First Team honors. The pair's best times this year have been 20:09 and 21:00, respectively, as Kristiansen has been named the NECC Runner of the Week twice while Poulos collected the accolade one time.
The 3-through-5 scoring placements, which Blankenship eluded to, could be a toss-up for the team as five runners have found their way to those finishing positions throughout the course of the season. Freshman Emily Ikonen (Hubbardston, Mass.) has had the best time of the year among that group when she finished with a 23:14 at Keene to help collect herself a second-straight NECC Rookie of the Week honor. Senior rookie Lexia Gillette (Pittsfield, Mass.) has charted the next-best finish for Southern Vermont when she tacked up a 23:43 at Keene.
SVC junior first-time runner Maddy Main (Bennington, Vt.) was named the NECC Rookie of the Week in mid-October after her 30:15 6K performance at the Golden Bear Invitational; her best 5K time this year was 24:44 at Keene. Fellow junior first-timer Stephany Ferreira (Shelton, Conn.) has set personal bests in each of her three races this year with her top mark being a 25:34, and freshman Faith Sullivan (Bennington, Vt.) has taken 7:16 off her first 5K mark of the season for her best-yet to be the 29:52 she chalked up at Keene.
"Workouts have been geared to focus on pacing and being smart from the gun," Blankenship noted of his women's squad. "I've also placed a lot of emphasis on the importance of running as a pack and the benefits that come from it. The team must embrace 'being comfortable with being uncomfortable.'"
Current weather forecasts for Westfield on Saturday call for the conditions to be mostly sunny with high temperatures around 67 degrees. There is just a 10 percent chance of rain, and winds are expected to be blowing around 11 miles per hour.
– #LetsGoSVC –