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10/31/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 10/31/2024 14:49

Under New Leadership, Men’s and Women’s Cross-Country Terriers Head to Patriot League Championships

Under New Leadership, Men's and Women's Cross-Country Terriers Head to Patriot League Championships

The Boston University men's cross country team prior to a race earlier this season. The men's and women's teams will run at the Patriot League championship race this Saturday, November 2, at Lafayette College, Easton, Pa.

Varsity Sports

Under New Leadership, Men's and Women's Cross-Country Terriers Head to Patriot League Championships

BU to take the course for the conference race at Lafayette College Saturday

October 31, 2024
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It's not common for a head coach to join a team after the season begins, but that was the reality for Boston University's cross country teams: head coach John Molz did not join the team until after the season's first race.

Leaning on Grant Cartwright, director of track and field and cross country, and Christian Noble, an assistant coach, and the rest of the program's leadership group, the team weathered the early season uncertainty.

"It's a pretty delicate situation when you bring in a new coach, especially once the season has already started," Molz says. "There's a whole boatload of talent and really hardworking individuals here that care a lot about this sport."

Molz was welcomed with open arms, he says, and was "beyond excited" to work with the team.

"He's been listening to us, learning, getting to know us personally, and he's a great guy overall," says men's cross country captain Alex Brown (ENG'25). "Also, on top of that, [he's] a great coach."

Now, the men's and women's cross-country teams, each with four races under their belt, are gearing up for the Patriot League Championships race this Saturday in Easton, Pa.

"We definitely have had a steady improvement the entire season," says women's cross country captain Samantha Seabury (COM'26). "I feel like usually things are less linear, but we're still on the come-up and things are getting better and better every week."

Men's cross country team: relying on versatility in championship race

The BU men's cross-country team, coming off a third-place finish in last season's Patriot League Championships, is highlighted by a mix of experienced runners and top-performing freshmen.

Two freshmen, Dan Hruska (CAS'28) and James American Horse (CAS'28), have stood out during their first season.

"Dan and James have been crushing it. They all have had such a positive attitude throughout this whole season. They love working hard," Brown says. "You can't really add much more from them."

The team took home a statement first place finish at the UMass Dartmouth Invite last month in rainy and windy conditions. Molz says that while the race is "not a super competitive meet," he was proud of the team's ability to respond to the environment.

Men's cross country captain Alex Brown (ENG'25) during a race earlier this season. The men's team is defined by its flexibility since any of 10 runners could end up in the top five on a given day. Photo by Trent Weaver

The new coach says the strength of the men's team this season has been its variability, and the fact there are no set top-five scoring runners on any given day. This eases some pressure, Brown adds, since he knows there are several Terriers who can all place high.

"We don't have a designated five-finishing order or anything like that," Molz says. "We probably have 10 guys that on any given day can end up in our top five if they have a great day, and that's a huge weapon."

Most important, the team is in good physical shape entering the championship season, which is not always the norm. Molz says that often teams are "hanging on by a thread," so the health of the runners is a major advantage.

"We're ready to go, and it's just nice to know that people are healthy and not being held on by Band-Aids," Brown says. "The team's morale is really high right now, and everybody's been really excited to race next week."

Women's cross-country team: taking advantage of experience

The women's team placed second in the Patriot League Championships last season, and returned 22 letter-winners this season, the second-most of any Patriot League team.

Seabury says this core of experienced runners is a major advantage for the team during championship season, especially with two of the race's top-10 finishers-Vera Sjöberg (CAS'26) and Kelly Jones (Questrom'27)-returning.

"Everyone coming back and having all been together last year and even the year before has been great," she says, "because it just reminds us we're all still here and we're all ready to do our best regardless of the circumstances."

Newcomer Caroline Collins (COM'28) has also proven a valuable addition. The three-time Patriot League Rookie of the Week has consistently placed in the team's top five. Collins brings excellent running skills to the team, Molz adds, as well as her voice and personality.

Women's team captain Samantha Seabury (COM'26) (right) and Caroline Collins (COM'28) during a race earlier this season. Seabury says the team needs to make sure nobody gets left behind on Saturday and "crush as many people as we can." Photo by Trent Weaver

"She has very much found a presence in this team already, which is really hard to do when you're walking into such a successful, competitive program," he says. "She has not been intimidated, but she's also been very personable and just fits in like a glove. Every day she does something to impress us."

The women's team placed 5th of 45 at the UMass Dartmouth Invite September 21 and had a 12th-place finish at the Princeton Fall Classic October 18.

The Paul Short Invite, held October 5 in Bethlehem, Pa., stands out as one of the few opportunities for the team to race against Patriot League opponents prior to the conference championship. Most notably, the Terriers competed against Army-winner of last season's Patriot League Championship.

BU ended the race two places behind Army, and that result is encouraging, Molz says.

"Our women moved up brilliantly through the race, continued to move up in the standings, and over the last mile were the best team in the entire field," he says. "I don't mind going in having gotten beat by Army earlier in the season. It kind of makes us the hunter instead of the hunted."

The women's team also enters this weekend's championship race healthy. Seabury says the team trusts one another and has a unified mission entering Saturday's championship.

"All we have to do is run together and not lose each other. Nobody's left behind," she says. "We just have to crush as many people as we can."

The Women's Cross Country and Men's Cross Country Patriot League Championships are Saturday, November 2, at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa. The women's 6K begins at 11 am, and the men's 8K follows at noon. Live stats and results will be available all day here, and BU fans can find more information on goterriers.com and follow along on Twitter at @TerrierTFXC and @BUGameDay.

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