The cross country season has started strong for Colgate University. On Saturday, Oct. 13, the team competed at the ECAC/IC4As and improved on their times from last year, with the men’s team placing 24th and the women’s team placing 31st. 

The team is looking forward to the Patriot League Championships at home on Oct. 28. One big change to the team has been a strong group of first-year runners. 

“We have a large group of fast first-years that have been very successful and make up the majority of our top seven,” senior Gavin Fowler said. “The team as a whole has also grown. We are recording some of our highest finishes at meets in a long time.”

Junior Taylor Mitchell also emphasized the impact the new class has had.

“It’s great to see [the first-years] improve as they transition from a high school level to a college level,” Mitchell said. “As we are nearing the end of our season, we have more injuries on the team. Even with the injuries, the team still had great success at the ECAC/IC4A championships.”

The team this year is stronger than it has been in years. Senior William Crounse commented on the strength of this year’s team, stemming from both first-year and returning runners.

“We have an incredibly strong class of first-years and returners like junior Owen Holland, sophomore Owen McMorrow, senior Gavin Fowler, junior Ben Horner and sophomore John Griffith, who are all running really well,” Crounse said.

Not only is the team placing its best in years, but many runners are also recording personal bests at recent meets. Fowler described the personal and team success at the ECAC/IC4A championships.

“ECAC/IC4As was amazing. This was another great race for the team and a large number of us set personal records,” Fowler said. “This was the team’s best finish at this meet in the four years that I have been here.”

During the ECAC/IC4As championships, junior Owen Holland clocked a personal best of 25:27.8 in the 8k and sophomore Owen McMorrow was just behind him, finishing second for the Raiders with a time of 25:46.6.

The women’s team also had a great ECAC/IC4A, with first-year Audrey Luell as the Raiders fastest runner for the fourth consecutive meet with a time of 22:44.1. Senior Carollin Mellin also ran a career best time of 23:50.3.

Colgate hosts the Patriot League Cross Country Championship on Oct. 28. Many on the team have been waiting to be able to host the Championships, which is only done every five years or so.

“I’ve been looking forward to having [Patriot League Championships] on our home course ever since I was a first-year, so it’ll just be really exciting to see,” Crounse said.

“The past three years our performance at this race has left us disappointed, but this year will be different,” Fowler said. “The team is very strong and the race is at home – what more can we ask for?”

Fowler even has family ties to the Patriot League Championships this year.

“I also get to race against my twin brother who goes to Lafayette,” Fowler said. “This race truly means a lot to me. All of my training for the past three and a half years was for this single race. I hope to finish my Colgate cross country career strong and look forward to seeing what the team can do.”

The cross country team is very strong this year and it should be an exciting Patriot League Championship. After the Patriot League Championship, the team will go to NCAA regionals in New York City. Once the cross country season is over, the team moves into track season.