Mount Holyoke College Cross Country stormed to a 13th-place finish out of 37 competing teams at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational. At the event on Sunday, Sept. 17, Boston University claimed first place in the women’s varsity 5K race with a total time of 1:27.47 and 26 points, followed by Stonehill College with 94 points and Connecticut College with 99 points.
The Mount Holyoke Cross Country team earned an 11th place finish out of 21 teams at the National Collegiate Athletic Association Mideast Regional Championships. The race was held at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, on Saturday, Nov. 12. With an overall team score of 327, the Lyons finished behind Connecticut College and ahead of Westfield State University, while Williams College took first place with a total score of 47.
Photo courtesy of Mount Holyoke Athletics.
Lauren Selkin ’23 won the Women’s Varsity 5K at the Sept. 17 UMass Dartmouth Invitational.
By Lauren Leese ’23
Staff Writer
Mount Holyoke Cross Country, led by Lauren Selkin ’23, rallied to 10th place overall out of 38 teams at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth Cross Country Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 17.
Selkin, who qualified for the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division III Cross Country National Championship in 2021, took first place in the Women’s Varsity 5K with a time of 17:49.3. Following an overall victory at the Wellesley College Invitational on Sept. 2, this race marked Selkin’s second-consecutive win of the year and the fourth first-place title of Selkin’s collegiate cross country career. On Sept. 19, Selkin was named the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Week.
“I managed to stick to my game plan and felt very confident and comfortable throughout the entire race,” Selkin said. “I love competing and always look forward to each of the races throughout the season.” Looking to the future, Selkin hopes to qualify for the NCAA National Championship again in 2022 and garner NCAA All-American athlete honors.
Tessa Lancaster ’25 was the second Mount Holyoke runner over the line, taking 35th place overall with a time of 18:54.1. Next for the Lyons, Bridget Hall ’24 ran a time of 19:33.6, placing 73rd. Greta Trapp ’25 took 102nd with a time of 19:59.9 and Kim Beaver ’25 earned a time of 20:37.5 and placed 149th.
This relatively large group of Mount Holyoke athletes competing in the varsity 5K was notable for the team. “Only [Selkin] and [Lancaster] had run the varsity race before,” Head Track and Field and Cross Country Coach Jennifer “Jay” Hartshorn said. “Given the fact that it was a new experience [for] so many athletes on the team, they stepped up.”
In the Women’s 5K Junior Varsity race, Amanda Kearney ’23 finished the course with a time of 22:42.2, taking 66th place. Emma Quirk ’26 came 82nd with a time of 23:39.0 and Eliza Butler ’23 ran a 24:20.50 to place 93rd.
“I felt pretty controlled during my race,” Butler said. Speaking of the season to come, she added, “I’m most looking forward to our future races. … I’d love the team to qualify for regionals again.”
Hartshorn also indicated that the team already has its sights on the NCAA Championship. “The season is really about building to the end of the year. Hopefully we can gain confidence through the season and feel ready going into the championships,” she said.
This meet followed a change of coach for the cross country team. “We have been just getting to know each other for the past month,” Hartshorn said. “Having a new coach can be hard for a team, so I appreciate their ability to adapt to my style. I feel really excited and blessed to be a part of this community. “
Next, the Lyons will head to Williamstown to compete in the Purple Valley Classic on Oct. 1, 2022.
Editor’s Note: Emma Quirk ’26 is a staff member of the Mount Holyoke News.
Image courtesy of Mount Holyoke College Athletics
This week’s team of the week is Mount Holyoke Cross Country.
Last year, Mount Holyoke Cross Country finished their season on Nov. 16 at the NCAA Division III Championships hosted by Bowdoin College. The Lyons placed seventh out of 54 teams with 267 points. Both Madeline Rieders ’21 and Hannah Rieders ’21 earned All-Region honors since they placed within the top 35 in their 6k course race.
Coach Chris Kibler gave insight as to what the team has accomplished over the summer. According to him, the team has “kept up regular communication with Zoom calls, phone calls, text and group messages.”
Kibler also discussed fundraising for the Athletes Taking Action Challenge. “We were nominated by MHC Field Hockey, and were able to raise $1200 for two organizations that will continue to help move the Black Lives Matter movement in the right direction,” Kibler explained. “We were then able to nominate MHC Rowing and Bryn Mawr XC/T&F [Cross Country/Track and Field] to take on the challenge,”
Kibler continued to explain what MHCXC is up to this fall. The team has had virtual synchronous and asynchronous practices and will compete in virtual asynchronous races throughout the fall. In the team’s first week of competition, they placed 4th overall in a 3,000m race against national competitors.
“We had team tryouts just like every year during the first week of official practice, and had many outstanding efforts and several personal bests,” Kibler said. “I am so proud of the team for working hard for something bigger than themselves during a time of so much uncertainty. The adversity and experiences they face now are making them into the most incredible people in the world.”
In our next publication, Mount Holyoke Field Hockey will be highlighted as the team of the week
