On Saturday, Nov. 11, hundreds of runners from over fifty colleges will converge on the Field of Dreams to participate in the 2017 NCAA Division III Cross Country Atlantic Regional Championships.
Since only eight of these meets are held across the nation, the regional championships are the only way for teams and individual athletes to qualify for the NCAA Division III national championships. After submitting a bid advocating for its course, Houghton College was selected for the privilege of hosting this important cross country meet in the Field of Dreams.
Houghton College will not only host the Atlantic Regional Championships, but will also contribute fourteen of its own top runners to participate in the competition. The seven athletes from the men’s team will include Tyler Deuschle ‘20, Matt Gostomski ‘19, Dan Burdo ‘20, Joel Wheeler ‘21, Dillon Bell ‘21, Dominik Sullivan ‘21, and John Vernick ‘20. Meanwhile Shelby Langlois ‘20, Rachel Hummel ‘18, Emily Blosdale ‘20, Anja Oberg ‘21, Shannon Pigott ‘19, Gwen Stokes ‘20, and Abbey Naylor ‘20 will represent the women’s team.
Participating in the regional championships is undoubtedly a daunting honor, but cross country head coach Patrick Hager believes this meet will be “business as usual” for his athletes. Not only are the Houghton runners familiar with racing on their home course, but the 2017 Highlander cross country teams have already shown that they can succeed under the pressure of stiff competition. This season, three Houghton runners earned all-conference recognition at the Empire Eights, with Tyler Deuschle placing ninth overall, Shelby Langlois finishing fifth, and Emily Blosdale coming in fifteenth. According to Coach Hager, the women’s team collectively “exceeded expectations to finish fourth” in the conference, and the men’s team ended with its fastest record in recent years. The cross country head coach also noted that for both teams “the intensity is at an all-time high. Not only are they a strong community, but they like to kick each other’s butt in practices.”
This team-wide intensity will hopefully serve the Houghton runners well as they look to fulfill some impressive goals in the regional championships. For Coach Hager, seeing his men’s and women’s teams finish in the “top twenty-five is the goal.” Cross country athlete Shelby Langlois echoed this aspiration but also added, “The goal for this meet is to represent the character of Houghton athletics through our actions on and off the course. We are obviously hoping for a lot of personal bests for both the men and women’s teams, but are really looking to have a strong team finish.”
For a sport such as cross country, which can seem highly individualistic, the Houghton teams are remarkably close-knit. Sophomore runner Blosdale described the team as being “like one big family” that is “super supportive of each other through both good and bad performances” and is “also really intentional about supporting each other in other areas of life as well.”
Langlois agreed, explaining, “My teammates and Coach are probably my biggest source of support.” She also emphasized the team’s intention to glorify God. She admired how her fellow runners “carry themselves humbly, value God in their lives, and raise each other up rather than calling each other out” and praised the way in which Coach Hager “takes it upon himself to create a Godly environment and teach us valuable life lessons.”
Bolstered by the support of their teammates and coach, along with their impressive intensity and proven success, the fourteen Highlanders who will compete in the Atlantic Regional Championships on Saturday have earned the pride and encouragement of the wider Houghton campus and community as they seek to represent their college and their God through running. Regardless of the results of this important meet, the Houghton cross country teams can feel accomplished in their achievements over the 2017 season and the community they have formed through their sport.
The athletes recognize the gift of participating in Houghton cross country. Langlois explained, “I have come to love those around me and the way we run for ourselves as individuals, for the team, for our coach, and most of all for the glory of God.” Affirming this view, Blosdale stated that “it has been such a blessing for me to be on this team.”