Sports

Freshmen pace UMaine at Dartmouth College

By Derek McKinley

Posted on Sept. 15, 2008, at 12:00 a.m.

The University of Maine cross country teams started their season at Dartmouth College on Saturday. The Black Bear men and women ended the day with matching fifth-place finishes.

With a major influx of freshman talent powering both teams this season, UMaine’s first-year phenoms wasted little time announcing their presence. Recent Bangor High School graduate Riley Masters led the men’s team, finishing 15th in 26 minutes, 45.70 seconds.

The men’s team is also bolstered by a strong contingent of returning juniors that includes last season’s 12th-place America East finisher Miles Bartlett and 17th-place America East finisher Chris Harmon.

On Saturday, it was Corey Bean who led the veteran juniors, finishing second for the team in 19th place (26:54.30). After missing all of his freshman year and completing a respectable season in 2007, several Black Bear runners believe Bean is on the cusp of a breakout season. Bean, on the other hand, is focused on a team finish.

“I think we’re going to surprise some people this year,” said Bean. “My goal personally is to help our team win an America East championship.”

Bean’s team-first mentality is a reflection of senior captain Chuck Therriault’s mantra for the season.

“I hope to try to bring the team together as a unit and finish strong,” said Therriault. “There are no individuals; we’re just one team.”

Therriault, the 47th-place finisher at Dartmouth (27:43.90), credits a strong preseason for the team’s preparedness.

“It’s an interesting team. We have a lot of freshman, so we’re younger than I’ve ever seen in my time here,” said Therriault. “We all trained well over the summer, so we’re at a good point right now. We just want to peak at the end of the season when it matters.”

The Black Bear men welcomed back junior Chris Harmon, who missed the indoor and outdoor track seasons last year while studying at Geroge Washington University in Washington, D.C. Harmon, the 35th-place finisher at Dartmouth (27:20.20), was eager to get back to competition.

“It was nice being in D.C., but now I guess the pressure is kind of on me to perform well for the team,” said Harmon. “I feel a little shaky getting back into it, but I’m happy to be back. Great team, great coach, so just a little hard work on my part and I should be back at the top.”

The men’s team entered this season tied for third in the America East rankings, but they have set their sights much higher.

“I tend to be skeptical of statistics and very confident in my team,” said Harmon. “I think with a little work this season we can take the conference.”

The fifth-ranked Black Bear women also benefited from strong freshmen performances. Corey Conner (20:47.60) and recent Old Town High School graduate Hilary Maxim (20:50.30) finished back-to-back in sixth and seventh place.

“High school cross country was so different than college cross country has been,” said Maxim. “I’ve never put in this much mileage, and I’ve never worked this hard. So it’s been challenging, but [head coach] Mark [Lech] is always there to answer my questions.”

Unlike the men, the women can no longer rely on a large team of experienced juniors. Juniors Jess Belliveau, Elonnai Hickok and Laura Brustolon, the top three finishers at last year’s conference championship, did not return to the Black Bears this season. The new runners have instead looked to senior captain Stephanie Jette for guidance.

“Stephanie has been great,” said Maxim. “She really brings the team together and is there for all of us whenever we need her.”

UMaine will head to the University of Massachusetts in Amherst for their next meet on Saturday, Sept. 20.

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