CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Cross-country to compete at NCAA meet in South Carolina

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Williams College cross-country teams have set off for the NCAA Championship, to be hosted this Saturday at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
 
The race presents an opportunity for both teams to showcase their hard work on a national stage against the top 32 teams in Division III. 
 
The field consists of the 10 winners of each Regional Championship race, which were held last weekend, as well as 22 additional squads selected with at-large bids. The Ephs had the women's team qualify automatically as the winner of the Mideast Regional at St. Lawrence University, while the men's team was an easy at-large selection having finished second at the regional to perennial powerhouse Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. 
 
The Ephs women's squad enters the race as the top-ranked team in the country, having enjoyed success throughout the fall, capturing not just the Mideast Regional win, but also a NESCAC Championship on November 1.
 
"There is a lot of excitement going into this race," said senior captain Fiona Picone. "We know our strength as a group, and believe in the determination and love we share for the team."
 
While the team has fared well in competition throughout the season, the Ephs are focused more on each individual race and not the bigger picture.
 
"I think no matter where we place this weekend we have a lot to be proud of, not just in terms of our past successes but in how we have come together as a group," said Picone. "Going into Saturday I feel like I am a part of something far greater than myself. We've gotten to this point because of how we've worked together, supported each other, and believed in WOW."
 
On the men's side, the Ephs are enthusiastic for another opportunity to race against squads that have edged them out in recent weeks. The team - ranked 10th in the final coaches' poll - has its sights set both on RPI, who won the Mideast Regional, and Tufts, who won the NESCAC Championship.
 
"So far this season, it feels like we've had a lot of strong individual races but haven't quite been able to put a bunch of them together on the same day," said senior Nikhil DeNatale. "The main goal is to keep our spread low and work together as a pack, and if we do that, we should have a good shot at finishing on the podium."
 
As always with cross-country, the course will present a unique set of challenges for all the competitors, and for Williams, traveling south brings new weather and different terrain than the team has found recently. 
 
The most recent weather report shows that the temperature could reach as high as 77 degrees on race day, and while the course looks mostly flat, it is always tricky to race in a new location.
 
"From word-of-mouth, it seems like [the course is] not too difficult, but pretty narrow at parts. This means, in a field of about 300 runners, positioning will be super important," said Zanuck. "It is also supposed to be [warm] and humid on race day; a stark difference from the conditions we've been experiencing in Williamstown recently. These two features will probably be the biggest challenges for us." 
 
Each school that qualified for the event will toe the line with seven runners, and team scoring consists of adding together the final placement of each one of a squad's top five finishers. The sixth and seventh runners do not count toward the team score, but they can displace top five finishers from other schools, so team depth is extremely important, especially in crowded and competitive races.
 
Regardless of the challenges and pressures all the runners face heading into the National Championship race, the two Williams teams are maintaining focus on the things they can control.
 
"I just want us to go out there and compete hard, best we can," said senior Luke Zanuck. "Our goals and potential remain the same as the beginning of the season; to beat as many teams as we can and get on the podium. Personally, I just want to leave it all out the year and complete my career with no regrets."
 
"Our success so far has been because of the contribution of each and every person, not just the ones running but everyone who's been there cheering us on and making this season so special," added Picone. "Our strength as a team comes largely from our depth and commitment across the entire group, and if we channel that energy in South Carolina I think we are a pretty formidable herd."
 
Saturday's race at the Roger Milliken Center in Spartanburg, S.C., will be streamed live on NCAA.com, with live stats available here. The men's race goes off at 10am and the women's race starts at 11am.