ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Carleton College women's cross country team won its fourth Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) title as Simone Childs-Walker (So./Seattle, Wash./Lakeside), Taylor Ffitch (So./Portland, Ore./St. Mary’s Academy), and Laura Roach (Sr./Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) placed second, fifth and eighth respectively to capture All-MIAC honors. The Knights totaled 65 points, finishing well clear of Bethel University (91 points), University of St. Thomas (94) and St. Olaf College (98) as Carleton won its first title since 2005.
“They were prepared mentally and very focused. As a result, that mental toughness carried us today,” said Carleton head coach Donna Ricks. “We had some very strong races today. Simone was strong up front. Taylor had an incredible race. What we needed was for some people to step up, and they did that. Everyone worked together, and our senior leadership has been tremendous.”
Childs-Walker finished at 22:15.9, while Ffitch crossed the line 40 seconds later, completing her best race of the season. Marie Borner of Bethel captured her third conference crown with a time of 21:43.0.
“The leadership this week was amazing, and the cohesiveness is phenomenal. We’ve got some good athletic talent, but what won it for us what how cohesive the team was,” said Ricks. “They really cared about each other and wanted to do it for one another. I truly believe that‘s how we won it.”
That “all for one” philosophy helped the Knights persevere through challenging circumstances. Several members of the Carleton team battled illness during the week, leaving Ricks unsure which racers would step up to the starting line. In fact, only 13 of her 19 runners competed after two called Ricks on Saturday morning to inform her they were too sick to race.
The coaching staff nearly scratched three more following a less than stellar warm-up session, but Roach, Alison Smyth (So./Billings, Mont./West), and Laura Sofen (Sr./Lexington, Mass.) convinced Ricks they were ready to contribute. The trio proved their resolve and assured the coaches that their sickness would not keep them from contributing. Roach would go on to earn All-MIAC distinction for the third straight year, while Smyth finished 21st overall to secure All-MIAC honorable mention. Sofen gave it her all in an emotional performance, knowing this was her last race with the entire squad.
“It was such a roller coaster of emotions,” noted Ricks. “I don’t want to run people that are sick, but when you have an upperclassman begging to run her last race, it just tugs at you as a coach.”
Roach, Smyth, and Sofen had been sick all week, but started to feel better in the days leading up to the race. But during warm-ups the coaches were less certain about their availability.
“I told them, ‘You have to do what’s right for you. I don’t want to do anything at all costs.’ Laura and Alison let us know we would get their best effort when the gun went off,” explained Ricks.
“Donna’s a great coach and knows what she’s talking about,” said Roach. “Although I’d been sick, I wanted to run. I was about to cry when she told me I couldn’t. I just wanted to run for my teammates. I told her, ‘I’m a senior. I need to do this.’”
Smyth was pulled aside and asked if she would be able to accomplish the individual objectives she had set for herself. Her response kept the sophomore in the lineup.
“Alison told me, ‘Yep, I know I can. I can still achieve those goals.” When she said that, I knew she was ready to go out there and race,” said Ricks.
“This is the one meet we gear up for as a team. It’s the last race we run together,” continued Ricks. “I was thinking about them personally, but both of them wanted to run for their teammates. I think they felt better after the race started. You prepare for this race all year and want to be 100 percent. Knowing they weren’t, may have left them drained a bit before we even started.”
Throughout the season the Knights, who entered today ranked No. 20 in the latest USTFCCCA national poll, found success in team unity. In order to overcome illness and the several regionally ranked MIAC squads, Carleton turned to a new source of inspiration for this race: the haiku. It is possible that never before in the history of running has poetry using the 5-7-5-syllable format sparked a conference championship.
In preparation for running an intrasquad three-kilometer time trial last week, the Knights divided into teams, each responsible to create their own cheer. One group elected to write haikus, and it was decided each member of the squad would present a haiku at the team dinner the night before the conference race.
Ironically, Ricks’ favorite poem that night was penned by Smyth, whom she almost kept from competing.
Tomorrow we run
For pride and for love of team
Together rock on
-- Alison Smyth ’12
While Childs-Walker, Ffitch, Roach and Smyth were the first four to place for Carleton, the Knights got spectacular performances from seniors Irene Koplinka-Loehr (Ithaca, N.Y.) and Nicole Reich (Appleton, Wis./Appleton North). The pair finished 29th and 30th respectively, separated by only two-tenths of a second.
“We’ve been focusing this season on working together,” Koplinka-Loehr said. “As we rounded the turn for the finish Nikki shouted ‘Go!’ and there’s no other option if you want to do what‘s right for the team.”
“It was such a joy to have Irene pass me because together we finished so strong, even passing a couple of runners,” explained Reich. “Normally, the end of the race for Irene is difficult, while for me it’s easier. Giving everything for the team is what made us run so hard.”
After strong performances the previous three years, where the Knights placed second twice and third the other time, Carleton’s seniors can finally call themselves “MIAC Champions.”
“It’s amazing being a senior to go out like this. We’ve been working so hard for four years, and it paid off,” said Roach.
“What an amazing day we shared,” Ricks said. “We certainly will be talking about this one for years to come! I have always said that conference is ‘a celebration of running,’ and something about MIAC is magical. But the magic just doesn't appear, the team needs to create it, and they certainly did by all of their hard work and effort throughout the summer, the fall, and especially this past week. There are so many stories that went untold today, but the one that is most important is that everyone on the team—whether they competed, cheered on the sideline, or rested in their dorm room waiting to see the results—all played a part in this victory. I am so proud of them.”
The Knights now have two weeks to get and stay healthy as they prepare for their next adventure, the NCAA Central Regional race on Nov. 14 in Grinnell, Iowa.
“It’s exciting how some people stepped up, and hopefully now we can run a tighter pack,” said Ricks.
And if needed, the team can use these haikus for further inspiration:
Just like chemistry
energy is released when
we bond together
-- Rachel Kittaka ’12
Wonderful runners
Determined, prepared and strong
Ready to kick butt
-- Kaitlin Randolph ’12
I have discovered
A clever race strategy
Is just like our lives
-- Emily Fritz-Endres ’11
