By her performance this past Friday, one would believe Grayce Selig ’11 to be a longtime Cross Country runner, a veteran of many courses. This sophomore was not only the first Brandeis runner to cross the line, but finished first in the meet overall, leading the Judges in a victory over Bentley.
This meet, hoverer, was the first competitive Cross Country race of Selig’s life, as she had been previously been exclusively a Track runner. Now, she finished on top of her teammates, claiming first place honors for the Judges.
The meet this Friday unofficially called the
“Waltham Championships” by a few of the athletes is more of a laid back meet between the two Waltham schools Brandeis and Bentley. The competition took place at Weston High School and served as a good prep meet for the beginning of the season.
The women were able to crush their competition as they finished this four-kilometer course in exceptional time.
They beat the cross-town team 20 to 41, demonstrating depth and distinction throughout the meet.
The men similarly demonstrated a strong showing this Friday. They beat Bentley 19 to 42 in their 3.5 miles race and placed 8 of the top ten runners at the competition.
The women placed numerous teammates high among the competitors this Friday, which propelled the team to a first place finish.
The first runner to cross the line was Grayce Selig ’11, who was able to finish the race in 15 minutes and 27 seconds. Right at her back was classmate Marie Lemay ’11, who claimed second at the meet. She finished the race in 15 minutes and 32 seconds. The next Brandeis runner to cross the line was Alyssa Pisarik ’12. This was the first cross-country race of her collegiate career, and her time of 15 minutes and 42 seconds was good enough to earn her fourth.
Another first-year Judge, Kate Warwick ’12, earned points for the team as she finished in 6th place. Other teammates rounded out the scoring to place Brandeis in first at the meet. The men also came in first place this past Friday in their meet against Bentley. Paul Norton ‘11 and Zachary Schwartz ’11 have not only shared a room for the past two years but also shared the top two places in scoring at the competition this Friday.
Paul Norton was the first to cross the line at the meet, finishing the race in 18 minutes and 3 seconds. Zachary Schwartz completed the course ten seconds later and was able to claim second place for the Judges.
Rounding out the top three was Senior Mike Stone ’09. He completed the race in 18 minutes and 23 seconds, adding to the overall team’s success. Other Brandeis athletes boxed out the Bentley runners so that they could only claim three of the top 15 positions at the competition.
Members of the women’s team were positive overall in their sentiments concerning the meet and their prospects for the season. “The meet went really well for the girls’ team,” commented Co-Captain Katy Agule ‘09 about the recent competition.
“Everyone looked really strong — it was no surprise to me as everyone has been training hard and came back to school looking really fit.”
She went on to explain her feelings about upcoming competitions.
“I’m really excited for the rest of the season to come as I think we all have a lot of potential both individually and as a team. It might just be the best cross-country season for the women in a long time.”
Members of the men’s team similarly expressed positive feelings about the recent competition.
“Overall it was a good meet for the team,” commented Mike Stone ’09 about the team’s performance. “I think we came out and showed
we’re in good shape even as we continue building towards regionals in about 2 and a half months.” He went on to state “As long as we stay healthy and maintain our focus, doing well at a higher level is definitely possible for this team.
The Judges will next compete at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational this weekend. This recent competition against Bentley has prepared the team for the upcoming season and showcased the potential of the Cross Country squads this year.
