Three Blue and Gray blurs – .7 seconds. For the average observer, the names have likely gotten lost amongst the clicks of the stopwatch as the lead Georgetown pack parades into the chute. Despite being relatively unknown, however, Georgetown’s supporting cast will likely determine the success of the men’s cross country team this fall.
With the majority of the team sticking to their demanding training schedules, both Patrick Henner, Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, and Assistant Coach Chris Miltenberg (MSB ’03), used the James Madison Invitational as a means for some of their younger, less experienced runners to get more acclimated to racing.
With little competition, and lots of pack running, both the men’s and women’s teams were able to secure victories quite easily this past Saturday on the hilly course of New Market, Va., at James Madison.
Freshman T.C. Lumbar, red-shirt sophomore Mike Krisch and red-shirt junior Justin Scheid, placed second, third and fourth, respectively, providing a sneak peak of a bevy of Georgetown runners that look to make significant contributions despite entering the season under the radar. Although acknowledging Georgetown’s top runners, juniors Levi Miller, Andrew Bumbalough and senior Matt Debole, as key pieces to the team, Henner stressed that “the season is going to revolve around” the performances of the pack from Saturday’s race as well as senior Dan Nunn, sophomore Sandy Roberts and junior Alex Mason.
“I feel like those guys have the potential to be better than anybody else in the country’s fourth or fifth men,” Henner said.
On the women’s side, it was the second, fourth and fifth place performances of junior Kailin Collins and sophomores Renee Tomlin and Kelsey Malmquist, respectively, that locked down a victory for the Hoyas.
“I think especially Kailin Collins and Kelsey Malmquist, coming off of high-mileage weeks and still running really well was exciting,” Miltenberg said.
The Hoyas were able to accomplish their goal of running as a team by running together at a controlled pace the first two miles of the five-kilometer race, according to Henner, but it was at the two-mile mark that Collins, Malmquist and Tomlin were able to take off and move into the top places.
The weekend’s meet marked a first for both Henner as iltenberg, both of whom assumed new coaching titles this past summer. Henner, who was the head coach for cross country from 1999 to 2007, noted that his job this fall is basically unchanged.
Miltenberg, who spent the past three years coaching at Columbia, was pleased to be rejoined with his alma mater.
“It felt great to be back in Blue and Gray,” he said.
Coming up for the Hoyas on Sept. 29 is the William and Mary Colonial Inter-Regional Challenge, a meet which will offer a glimpse of schools’ top squads. Both Henner and Miltenberg said that the older members of the Georgetown team are anxious to get out and race having seen some of their teammates compete this past weekend.
“The younger guys are chomping at the bit.and that’s a good thing,” Henner said.
