UW-Eau Claire men and women’s cross country teams both competed at the St. Olaf Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 20 in Northfield, Minnesota. The men finished in third place out of 15 teams, and the women finished in fourth place out of 16 teams.
This was the Blugolds’ first meet of the season against outside competition. They had previously competed at the Alumni Open on Saturday, Sept. 6, where current and former Blugolds raced against one another.
At the most recent St. Olaf Invitational, the men began their eight kilometer race at 10 a.m. Head coach Dan Schwamberger said they have a “young crew” on the men’s side — mostly first- and second-year students. He said he is particularly impressed with the second-year returning runners.
“They showed the hard work they put in over the summer,” Schwamberger said. “A guy like Andrew Thaler, Troy VerStrate and Jack Nelson all made big jumps from last year. The gameplan with them was to work through their training groups with the 5k and finish the last 3k strong.”
The leading Blugold runner at St. Olaf for the men’s team was fourth-year Jack Hesse-Withbroe, who placed third individually with a time of 25:21.1. Hesse-Withbroe has had a strong start to his season, previously taking first place at the Alumni Open.
The women began their six kilometer race at 11 a.m. Schwamberger said the competition was fierce. Carleton, UW-La Crosse and St. Olaf — who placed in that order — are all nationally-ranked teams, with the Blugold women currently ranked 30th, according to Schwamberger.
“I was happy with both the women’s effort and the men’s effort,” Schwamberger said. “It’s nice to see that we were able to be right in the mix … It was a good starting point, but I think there’s more potential there.”
The leading Blugold runner at St. Olaf for the women’s team was Keeley Behr, a fourth-year biochemistry and molecular biology student who has been running cross country since seventh grade. She placed fourth individually with a time of 22:34.9.
Behr said this invitational was a good “stepping stone” for her and the team but slightly challenging due to muddy conditions and hills.
“The first meet is always a bit of a shock to the system, so it’s good to get it under our belts and keep moving forward,” Behr said. “I think we were ready to see where we’re at and get a gauge on our position going into the season.”
Schwamberger said he was pleased the meet was not at a “manicured” golf course.
“It was a mix of fields, grass, wooded areas and gravel trails,” Schwamberger said. “For the first meet of the year, it’s great because it’s challenging. If you run smart, you’ll run well on it.”
To prepare for these meets, Schwamberger said the teams have two “main” workouts each week, which involve running outside as well as weightlifting. For Saturday meets, these occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays to allow for rest periods.
Behr said that, moving forward, the team will be focusing more on their race pace instead of general aerobic endurance.
“I’m looking forward to getting to compete alongside my teammates for my final season here and just see what we can do on a regional and national level,” Behr said.
Next, the UW-Eau Claire men’s and women’s cross country teams will take on the Blugold Invite on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax, Wisconsin.
Matczak can be reached at [email protected].
