<pture Fifth
by Chas Karch
The Fellahs kicked off the season big on Saturday, September 8th, scoring a solid fifth at the Les Duke Invitational in Grinnell Iowa.
It was a squad of old guys, with the team’s first-years staying behind to have awkward conversations with their roommates and figure out where the library is located. Even without the young guns, the Knights managed to do some damage. Marcus Huderle ‘14 got to the finish first for Carleton, running dead even splits for a time 25:53 and a seventh place finish.
Not far behind was Bobby Davis ‘13, who crossed the line in 26:30, his flowing golden locks finishing a few seconds after. Close on his heels came Jacob “The Avenger” Hoerger ‘14, laying a 26:52 down on the course. Hoerger’s performance was due either to a hard summer of training, or to three months of losing his mind on the frigid Siberian stepper. No one is sure which.
The rest of the Knights had great races as well. Aaron Hirsh ‘13, Dylan Cheever ‘13, Thor Laack-Veeder ‘15 and Noah Laack-Veeder ‘15 all ran solidly to round out the team’s top seven. Adam Scherling, having recently decided that it might be fun to actually spend a term at Carleton also ran well, putting up a 29:29 in his first cross country race since his freshman year. Ben Levy ‘15 and his hamstrings were back for their sophomore year and started with a bang, crushing down the 30-minute barrier with a time of 29:57.
Then last Saturday the entire squad of Knights, first years included, boarded the trouble train across the river to the St. Olaf invitational. Joe Haase ‘16 of Chapel Hill, NC, led the new class in 28:14. Close behind finished the triple threat of Porter Truax ‘16, Ben Hiskes ‘16 and Owen Duncan ‘16.
Evan Olawsky ‘16 tested the accuracy of automatic timing, squeaking in just under half an hour with 29:59.8. The grizzled veteran Oliver Heywood let the greenhorns take the glory, stopping the clock at a respectable personal best of 30:01.
Tanner Fliss ‘16 continued his celebration of the Packers’ victory on Thursday night by throwing down a solid race of 30:33. In an unprecedented move, Forrest Williams ‘16 donned running shorts and sunglasses before running a smooth and strategic 31:26, leaving plenty of Oles behind in the dust. The harriers rest this weekend and hope to have a full squad healthy in two weeks.
Women Earn Third
by Haley Johnson
After graduating five women that contended for the top seven positions last year, including 12 time All-American Simone Childs-Walker ‘12, it would have been natural for Carleton’s cross country team to fly under the radar so early in the season.
But as the first two races have demonstrated, returners and first-years are stepping up to answer the call, and are very aware they are a part of a team that holds two of the last three MIAC Championship titles.
After a week and a half of preseason training, the women attended the Luther All-American Invitational on September 8th. Rather than running the accustomed 6k race, the team competed against ten other teams in a 5k, facing MIAC compatriot Hamline as well as regional competitor Luther. Sophomore Colette Celichowski opened with a strong fifth place finish at 19:05.
She was closely followed by captain Rachael Klehm ‘13, who clocked in at 19:07. First-years made a strong showing as well. Ruth Steinke’s 19:15.4 put her in ninth place, while Sally Donovan ‘16 and Shira Kaufman ‘16 worked together for the majority of the race, coming in at 15th and 19th place, respectively. Because of these fabulous finishes, Carleton was able to put five runners in the top 20, and they clinched a first-place win.
A week later, at St. Olaf, Carleton faced fiercer competition. The meet hosted 26 teams and 381 runners, many of them also part of the MIAC. Steinke ran a quick 23:03.1 and came in as the first Carleton runner and ninth place overall. Klehm again followed with a 23:21.4, just a few seconds faster than she ran last year, and Celichowski boasted a PR, running more than a minute faster than last year at this time, coming in 19th.
The dynamic duo of Donovan and Kaufman again proved to be one of the most closely knit packs, coming in 26th and 27th respectively. Overall, the knights placed third, behind only St. Olaf and Mankato State (though an argument can be made for a true second place finish, as Mankato State is a Division II team). Notable schools that placed behind Carleton are the University of St. Thomas and Grinnell.
The women look forward to competing again today at the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire’s (UWEC) Blugold Invitational. They face powerhouses like UWEC and Luther (again) on a historically fast course in Colfax, WI.