Samuel Barber
MSMU Class of 2022
(10/2020) This year has dragged the world through the worst of situations; at points, it has seemed there will never be the light at the end of the tunnel. The same goes for the world of collegiate sports. The cancellations and postponements of spring sports have now carried over to the fall. One of the most successful fall programs at Mount St. Mary’s, cross-country, is set to showcase their talents in an alternative way: on the track.
Chris FitzSimons, who is in his fourth season at the helm of both the men’s and women’s program, is looking to carry last season’s success over to this calendar year. However, one obstacle stands in the way: there is no season. To fill the competitive gap, FitzSimons, along with a host of other Northeast Conference (NEC) coaches devised a plan to host a virtual cross-country season.
The Mountaineers will compete in two inter-squad races at their on-campus track. Both races will be six and eight kilometers, respectively. The virtual NEC Championships will encompass athletes from all 10 institutions, competing on their respective tracks in a five-kilometer race with the winner being crowned as virtual champions.
Despite there being an absence of in-person competition, the virtual approach will offer exciting new twists. The installment of a five-kilometer race is quite foreign to male athletes, as they only race that distance during the track seasons. Plus, there will be no championship rings or trophy that athletes will be toeing the line for. Without that first-place incentive to strive for, the determination and grit will have to be extracted from somewhere else, which will be enticing, to say the least.
Regardless, the head coach remains intrigued and open-minded to the new idea. "I think it’s a great way to keep people motivated during this time. Just to have something on the schedule to train for, instead of just training to train. It makes everyone a little bit more motivated," FitzSimons said.
The men’s team, who is coming off a third-place finish at last year’s championships, is poised for even more success this season despite losing three routine scorers. Will Merritt looks destined to once again lead the Mountaineers. Contrary to previous seasons, Merritt will have a more unified group of front runners. Isaac Kole and Grant West, both of whom earned conference honors, have used their time away from competition wisely, and the latter is shaping up for a breakout season. Pair those three with incoming transfer Colin
Kelly (via Saint Francis PA) and rising junior John Wang, and the Mount has five runners that can surely turn some heads within the conference.
Although a team’s frontrunners are critical to one’s success, the displacement runners could ultimately decide whether a team wins out. Andrew Jackson and Paul Fagnano will be joined by incoming freshman Michael Chipi, which will round out the top eight. Chipi, the Kenyan native, has shown glimmers of hope that could foreshadow future success.
From a team outlook, the Mountaineers are undoubtedly the favorites, as the defending champions, Wagner, lost much of their talent to graduation or transfer. Their biggest competition is sure to be Central Connecticut State (CCSU). Despite the potential competition, this remains a conference race for the Mount to lose.
The preseason excitement does not just surround the men’s team. The women’s team, who is looking to build on the fourth-place finish at conference’s a season ago, have a strong repertoire. Key returning seniors, Alexandra Kay, and Destiny Boone will certainly be the anchors and the two that set the foundation for the team. Emma Strickland, Erin Billigmeier and Mary Campbell are poised to be a lethal trio during their four years at the Mount.
Campbell, the Ephrata, PA native brings plenty of individual accolades to Emmitsburg that will surely benefit the team. During her time at Ephrata High School, Campbell flirted with the under-five minute barrier in the mile, running a 5:02, which is quite the impressive feat. During her junior campaign, she posted a 2:19 in the 800-meters, a time that proves her speed will carry over to the cross-country course.
Strickland, a 2020 Catoctin graduate, boasts impressive times coming into her freshman season. While at Catoctin, Strickland captured three individual Maryland 1A state titles. Much like Campbell, the mid-distance speed is going to give her a significant edge in the most pivotal parts of the races.
Not only are the incoming freshmen and rising seniors making noise throughout the team, sophomores Molly Connelly and Theresa Long look ready to take the next step. Long is coming off a top-25 finish at last year’s NEC Championships. Similar to the men’s side, CCSU has all the pieces to defend their cross-country title.
The NEC, as well as the NCAA, have been discussing the best course of action to have a traditional, in-person cross-country season. The NCAA announced earlier this month that in-person NCAA cross-country championships would be hosted in March, with regular-season competition beginning on January 23. However, no official word from the conference has been announced on when their season will commence.
Long before the NCAA’s announcement, FitzSimons had a growing level of optimism for a season of some capacity. "It appears so, it has been gaining traction for a couple of months now", he said. "It is looking that there will be either a winter or spring season, however, I’m not sure how and when the NEC will vote on this groundbreaking decision", FitzSimons added.
While each school will be competing socially distanced at their respective tracks, two monumental pieces of a championship season will be left out of the picture, a trophy and a ring. Hoisting the championship trophy and fitting the ring on your finger are two moments that truly embody the winning spirit. With every aspect of it virtual, do the champions even deserve the tangible accolades. After all, this is not a real championship. It is instead a replacement plan to institute a sense of normalcy in the lives of the athletes.
"No, it is just a different atmosphere. You are not there on a cross-country course; you are on a track. Each team isn’t on a level playing field," according to the head coach. Despite his seemingly staunch opinion on giving out championship awards, he was open to the idea of an alternate prize.
"I, along with the entire coaching committee, have decided to get some type of an award. All of us coaches have got together and decided to either get medals or a cheesy trophy, like a COVID Cup," FitzSimons stated.
With the likelihood of the cross-country season extending into the winter season being quite high, the cancellation of indoor track has been discussed. From a logical standpoint, having cross-country is a lot safer than indoor track. Regardless of there being fans in attendance, cross-country offers the ability to have athletes and coaches to be in a more spread out, especially now that the United States is in the thick of the pandemic.
This fall will be like none other not only in the NEC but the NCAA as well. This fall is set to give cross-country athletes unprecedented challenges. This fall is going to test the limits and mental toughness. Despite not being able to compete against their fellow conference foes, one thing is for sure, the Mountaineers will be ready to toe the line in their shining moment.
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