Spring Break
CROSS COUNTRY: Personal-best times aren't enough to make Nationals
by Mike Prada
Editor in Chief
Sports | 11/13/07
Posted online at 1:06 AM EST on 11/13/07
/ Last updated at 12:26 PM EST on 11/13/07
Although none of the Judges' cross country runners qualified for the NCAA championships, many can say they ended the year running faster than at any other point in the season.
Brandeis got personal-best performances from several runners at the New England Division III championships last Saturday. The men's team finished in ninth place out of 47 teams, while the women's team finished 18th out of 47 squads.
"The finish was a bit disappointing, but I think it was a pretty good day," Tim Condon '08 said. "A lot of our guys [set personal records], so it was a nice way to finish off the season."
Amherst College won the meet, edging Williams College by a single point.
Despite the strong performances, no Brandeis runner qualified for the NCAA championships. Mekonen Gendebo '11, fresh off clinching the University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year award Oct. 27, came closest, but a 21st-place time of 25 minutes, 20 seconds missed the mark by a mere seven seconds.
"[Gendebo] ran awesome," coach John Evans said. "Being the second freshman to finish is a great achievement."
Though he failed to qualify for Nationals, Gendebo still put forth his best effort of the season. His time was 22 seconds faster than it was at the UAA Championships, and it marked the third straight time that Gendebo ran faster than he did in the previous meet. For his efforts, Gendebo was named an all-New England performer.
Condon, in his final college race, finished second on the team and 44th overall with a time of 25:45. It was easily Condon's fastest time of the season, but the second team all-UAA performer last year never got into a rhythm this season after a knee injury kept him out for the entire offseason and the first half of the year.
"[Condon] didn't start training until August, so you're talking about nine months where he wasn't running," Evans said. "Missing nine months is a long time, and if you miss that much time, you aren't going to be at the level that you want to be."
Brandeis got personal-best performances from several runners at the New England Division III championships last Saturday. The men's team finished in ninth place out of 47 teams, while the women's team finished 18th out of 47 squads.
"The finish was a bit disappointing, but I think it was a pretty good day," Tim Condon '08 said. "A lot of our guys [set personal records], so it was a nice way to finish off the season."
Amherst College won the meet, edging Williams College by a single point.
Despite the strong performances, no Brandeis runner qualified for the NCAA championships. Mekonen Gendebo '11, fresh off clinching the University Athletic Association Rookie of the Year award Oct. 27, came closest, but a 21st-place time of 25 minutes, 20 seconds missed the mark by a mere seven seconds.
"[Gendebo] ran awesome," coach John Evans said. "Being the second freshman to finish is a great achievement."
Though he failed to qualify for Nationals, Gendebo still put forth his best effort of the season. His time was 22 seconds faster than it was at the UAA Championships, and it marked the third straight time that Gendebo ran faster than he did in the previous meet. For his efforts, Gendebo was named an all-New England performer.
Condon, in his final college race, finished second on the team and 44th overall with a time of 25:45. It was easily Condon's fastest time of the season, but the second team all-UAA performer last year never got into a rhythm this season after a knee injury kept him out for the entire offseason and the first half of the year.
"[Condon] didn't start training until August, so you're talking about nine months where he wasn't running," Evans said. "Missing nine months is a long time, and if you miss that much time, you aren't going to be at the level that you want to be."
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