With captains Nick Littman and Ian Bell guiding the pack, the men’s cross country team is determined to surpass all conference teams this season. Although three principle runners graduated, the rebuilding process fares well for the men’s team. With four first-years joining the team, recruitment was ultimately a success. In addition to securing new runners, the men’s team has witnessed great improvement in previous members.

“We have a solid sophomore and junior group,” senior and co-captain Nick Littman said. “We are running really close as a pack. Our top seven runners are really solid. We are filling the gaps.”

Senior co-captain Ian Bell is of the same opinion: “We are pretty consistent. [There are] a lot of guys on the same level.”

Led by solid pack runners, the men’s team is prepared for the races. With such an intense practice, no one can doubt their abilities and potential as a team.

“[We] put in about 60 miles per week. Some days we might be doing 14 miles, other days maybe six. The shorter ones are more intense speed-wise,” said Bell.

The description is exhausting enough.

Now the team is concentrating on upcoming events such as the Bigfoot Open at Spokane, Wash., on Oct. 18, and the Northwest Conference Championships in Walla Walla on Nov. 1. According to captains Littman and Bell, faring well at the conference race is a top priority.

“That’s where we see how well we do against the conference schools. We are hoping to do better than in the past,” said Littman.

The Willamette Invitational on Oct. 4 was a preparatory race for the Northwest Conference Championships. It also provided an opportunity to gauge the competition.

“[The Willamette Invitational] is huge. All of the teams from our conference will be there. It’s a good measuring stick to see how we compare to the other teams,” said Littman.

Indeed, with Coach Malcolm Dunn supervising, the team is destined to have a good season. As an experienced runner and coach, Dunn has an adeptness for cross country.

“[Dunn] is the best coach I have had as a runner. He pushes us hard but not too hard, so we don’t burn out. He really respects academics. He is a funny, witty guy. He tries to give everyone attention, which is really a hard thing to do with a large team,” said Littman.

Coach Dunn’s great personality and healthy philosophy for teaching energizes the team as a whole, encouraging individual members to challenge themselves and providing support during the anxiety pervading race days.
“Coach Dunn is great with technique and training. He is very supportive,” Bell said.

Members of the men’s cross country team share a collective passion for the sport. This passion provides the motivation necessary to push through each and every race.

“I really like competing and endurance sports: stretching my body to the limit,” said Littman.

“It’s always hard,” Bell said. “But we all like the challenge.”