2007 Cross Country Recap

Seniors and team captains Julia Tyack (3-year letter winner) and Nicholas Daum (4-year letter winner) provided leadership, discipline, and encouragement for a relatively young Poet team. The women showed improvement by moving up from a last place tie in the SCIAC in 2006 to a solid 6th place finish in 2007. The men slipped ever so slightly from a 6th place tie in ‘06 to 7th in the '07 campaign.

Darlene Partida led the lady runners as their MVP. Partida set a school record for points scored with 140. She earned first team All-SCIAC and ALL-NCAA West Region honors. A third place finish at the SCIAC Championships was one of many highlights during the sophomore's fine season. Her sub-23 minute performance at the West Region Meet in Estacada, Oregon was the 48th best 6000m time ever in Division III West Region history. Her 22:58 effort was overshadowed by perhaps the most competitive West Region field ever assembled; it was the first time in history a sub-23 West Region performance did not qualify for the NCAA DIII Championships.

Rookie of the year honors went to Jessica Mena, who was a solid #3 runner for the Poets all season, and Julia Tyack was voted "Most Inspirational" runner of the year.

The men's MVP and rookie of the year was Thomas Martinez. After a mid-season slump Martinez concluded the season by posting a fine 27:48 8000m performance on the West Region course. Martinez and Daum exchanged front runner positions throughout the season. Freshman Bryce Holewinski improved steadily as the #3 man.