Need an excuse to leave the office a little early on Friday? Or to play hooky from school? Well, this Friday afternoon some of the best collegiate cross country programs in the nation will be going head-to-head at Boston’s Franklin Park. Boston College’s 2ndAnnual Coast-to-Coast Battle in Beantown will feature legendary teams such as Oregon, Georgetown, Michigan, and Providence. Last year, we were treated to excellent performances by the likes of Edward Cheserek and Emily Sisson. This year’s meet should be equally exciting, so I would find any reason possible to get to Franklin Park on Friday!
Starting things off on Friday will be the ladies’ 5k at 3pm. It’s will feature five nationally-ranked programs, including #1 Michigan and the defending national champions of Providence. The Lady Friars won this meet last year with 50 points over the Oregon Ducks’ 85. The Friars return a very respectable squad and will being looking to top returners Catarina Rocha (Peabody HS, MA) and Sarah Collins to lead them to another successful fall campaign. Though, a repeat victory will be tough on Friday—teams like Michigan and Georgetown are far too strong. Michigan finished fourth last year out in Terre Haute and this year they return everyone from that podium team. Last weekend at the BIG10 Preview, the Lady Wolverines opened up their season with an impressive 16-point team victory. Look for three-time All American sophomore Erin Finn to be out front and trying to lead the Wolverines to victory. Though, being the #1 team in the nation comes with responsibility and pressure. The Hoyas of Georgetown will be looking to trip up Michigan on Friday. Georgetown finished 5th last year at NCAAs and return everyone except their #4. After a very successful track campaign, All American Katrina Coogan (Philips Exeter, NH) should be the front runner for Georgetown; she will be hoping to lead her Hoyas to success in their first major test. Even though Boston College won’t take down Michigan or Georgetown, Liv Westphal should be with the lead pack of women in an attempt to improve on last year’s 3rd place individual finish.
The class of the men’s field will certainly be the 2013 NCAA XC Champion and Oregon sophomore Edward Cheserek. Cheserek has already checked off titles that most would dream of earning after a four-year career. Last year, Cheserek and Oregon teammate Jake Leingang went 1 -2 to help Oregon rack up 22 points and take the team win over Syracuse. Expect Cheserek and fellow Ducks to hold back and unleash their power over the final 2k. Syracuse will be out for revenge and looking to spoil the Ducks’ East Coast visit. Martin Hehir should be the Orangemen’s #1 and looking to break up the Duck pack at the front. The Providence Friars will be another team in the mix on Friday. They placed 16th last year at NCAAs and return everyone but their #3 runner. This year, the team’s success will rest on the shoulders of a group of seniors: Shane Quinn, Liam Hillery, and Brian Doyle. A familiar face to the home crowd should be Eric Jenkins ( Portsmouth HS, NH) who transferred from Northeastern to Oregon last summer. Jenkins did not compete last fall, but he had strong indoor and outdoor seasons. This fall, Jenkins makes his Oregon cross country debut and should be a crucial component in the Ducks’ arsenal.