Athenas set sights on a seven-peat
CLAREMONT, Calif. – Head Coach John Goldhammer will guide the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women’s cross country program to their seventh consecutive SCIAC Championship, 26th overall, on Saturday, Oct. 29 as they head to Prado Park in Chino, California. After splitting up to compete in two separate meets (Pomona-Pitzer Invitational and Connecticut College Invitational), the Athenas retained their full roster and look forward to grinding it out on this grueling 6 km course.
Junior Bryn McKillop (SC) has been a constant presence in the top of the leaderboard, finishing within the top-5 in five different events. She is expected to lead a talented Athenas team, featuring seven different runners that have finished within the top-15 at major meets. Senior Carmen Mejia (SC) has punctuated her status as one of the best runners in the conference after a second-place finish in the SCIAC Multi-Dual, while junior Malea Martin (CMC) has surpassed several schools’ no. 1, 2 and 3 runners at SCIAC-related meets despite being a no. 3 runner for CMS. Junior Lauren Stanislaw (SC) had made significant strides this season, finishing ninth overall in her last two races after placing 36th and 43rd in her first two major events.
Pomona-Pitzer will look to topple the Athenas off the leaderboards, boasting one of the best runners in conference history. Maya Weigel set the course record at the Pomona-Pitzer Invitational with a time of 20:57.3 and has been named SCIAC Athlete of the week four times this season. She also set the course record at La Mirada Park in the SCIAC Multi-Dual with a time of 21:04.84.
In addition to a tough Sagehens roster, the Athenas’ biggest challenge will be the course itself. Prado Park is notorious for featuring many turns and lacking long straight paths. Moreover, with wet conditions expected on Saturday morning, the championship will get messy as the Athenas will cross muddy paths. However, experience will be on CMS side as seven runners who finished within the top-20 two years ago at the same course will be returning to take the title.
“The Athenas are racing well and we have had very fine focus all season long,” Goldhammer said. “We had a good summer of training but the leadership within this team is superb, very possibly the best I have seen in my 34 years here.”
SCIAC Cross Country Championship Homepage
By Young Kim
Sports Information Assistant
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