Photo courtesy of the Mount Holyoke College Athletics Department. Lauren Selkin ’23 was awarded NEWMAC honors after this season.
BY KASS LAWRENCE ’22 AND SHLOKA GIDWANI ’22
The Mount Holyoke Cross Country team’s 2019 season is coming to an end. So far this season, the team has not placed below 10th in any meet, with athletes such as Hannah Rieders ’21, Madeline Rieders ’21 and Lauren Selkin ’23 earning New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Conference awards.
“Cross country meets are a ton of fun. You’re tasked with running a specific distance — usually 5k — and competing with anywhere from 80-300 people on the same course, in the same conditions. Scoring makes it a lot of fun and really shows that every runner you pass matters.”
The Lyons’ cross country team is coached by Chris Kibler, assisted by Dean Dumas and Kate Edwards. This year, Kibler won NEWMAC Women’s Cross Country Coach of the Year Honors. He joined Lyons Nation in 2017 and coached the cross country team place 8th best team in the New England Region this year.
“My first year here, we came in 10th out of 11, and then last year, sixth out of 11,” Kibler said. “Then this year, second out of 11.”
He attributes all the success of the season to the team, assistant coaches and the College as a whole. “I don’t even know whether there should be a Coach of the Year award, because it isn’t very team-focused,” he said.
“Coach [Kibler] does everything for us from making individual training plans, designing our strength, stability and warm-up routines, making time to meet with us individually about running and to support us outside of athletics and is such a positive and fun person to be around, making the early morning practices worth it every day,” Anderson said. “We are so lucky to have someone as hardworking, dedicated, supportive and inspiring as him.”
The Lyons will compete once again at the NCAA Division III Regional Championships on Nov. 16.