This past Saturday was a big day for Navy Cross Country! The Varsity team traveled to our old stomping grounds to compete in the Fordham Invitational in the Bronx. Navy’s team captain took third overall in the race, and Navy took five of the top 11 places to smash the 16 team field with a team score of 29. (It’s like golf, folks, the lower score wins.) Second place Quinnipiac scored 96 points. Huge Navy win!
But if that was huge, the JV guys were humongous! Navy’s younger men traveled to Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA) near another of our old stomping grounds! In fact, Ursinus is right in Grammy and Herb’s backyard…so the proud grandparents showed up to say “hi” to their handsome grandson and take some pictures. Let’s get to it!
That’s the start. Eight teams competed, and the day was as hazy and humid as it looks in this photo. 100% humidity! Tough, tough conditions.
Before we get to the results, let’s peek at some shots. Grammy and Herb tried like crazy to tag-team this photo effort, but the camera didn’t cooperate. Dead battery! Damn! For other XC families looking for a glimpse of your Mid, please look closely…
Hey! That’s Midshipman Mark!
Anyone notice a pattern here? The photos above are in sequence…finishers weren’t omitted (well…maybe two were…). Navy took 10 of the top 12 places! Huge! Navy scores 15 points (a perfect score) while the second place team scored 69. Competition crushed!
These Mids were so good that many of the spectators thought they were enlisted Navy personnel “sponsored” by the Navy. When they learned the Mids were students, they complimented the talent on such a deep Varsity team…and then they found out the Varsity team was in New York. Yeah…
This was Mark’s first collegiate level race and his first at five miles (8K). He tells me he ran a great 5K (3.1 miles) — in fact, he ran a 5K PR (in the middle of a 5 mile race). He says he started cramping up in mile 4 and had to back off a step. He still finished strong, and he’s ready to run again this weekend at the Navy Invitational in Annapolis.
Okay! A few more pix. One Mid in particular asked Grammy to take his picture so he could send it to his family back home. I hope he’s in here!
Is this handsome young man our guy? Or is it one of these?
Mark, you look like you were on the wrong end of an argument. Wow!
Congratulations guys! Great race!