This Fall Athletic season is well underway at Baruch College and both the Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams are doing their best to improve on the progress they’ve made from last season. Both teams have made great strides throughout this season and are doing their best to accomplish their goal of winning cross-country championships.
The Women’s Cross Country team, led by captains Viktoriya Mikhelzon’12 and Tracy Dimaculangan’14, is attempting to make strides and has been searching for consistency. It has been difficult; in their last three meets, they have regressed, finishing fourth, sixth, and tenth respectively. This is not ideal for the team and far from what they’ve expected, but it shows that when they are focused, they have the potential to be one of the better teams in their conference. When asked about the season so far, Tracy commented, “The girls have grown as runners and are becoming more confident in their abilities with each race. As a team, we are only getting better.” The women’s team only has one more meet, the York Invitational on October 16, before they compete in the CUNYAC Championship on October 30. Their performance at the York Invitation will be crucial. If they are able to finish their regular season with a strong performance, they can boost their morale and use it as a springboard heading into the CUNYAC Championship.
On the other side, the men have been consistent throughout the season with four top ten finishes led by their captains, Siwen Liao’12 and Gilbert Marte’12. In their last race, Marte finished 41st overall, which was a team best. The men’s team also has only one more race before the CUNYAC Championship on October 30. Like the women’s team, this will be their final opportunity to compete at a top level event as a team before the championship. This is vital because even though they have consistently finished in the top ten all season long, the men’s team has yet to record a top five finish this season. If there is a time for this team to finally break into the top five and gain momentum, it is now. Following the CUNYAC Championship, the team will participate in the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championship on November 5 at Williams College.
The Baruch Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams have had a relatively successful team up until this point, but in order to achieve their ultimate goal, they will have to make the most out of these final weeks of the season. The teams have shown a tremendous amount of fortitude, confidence and improvement and they will look to translate their success to the CUNYAC championship.
