As the dog days of summer give way to the chilly and windy days of fall, the autumn sports seasons are starting to wind down. Many programs are only a couple weeks away from their respective championships, the most competitive parts of their schedules.
This is the situation Buffalo's cross-country teams are in, as they are two weeks away from the Mid-American Conference Championships in Mount Pleasant, Mich. As they head closer and closer to the Championships, both teams continue to make tremendous strides.
The Bulls had their last tune-up over the weekend at the Bowling Green State University Invite in Bowling Green, Ohio. With seven MAC squads competing, the BGSU Invite provided the Bulls with a good test for their own championships in a couple of weeks.
"A meet of this caliber allows the athletes to be in a high-pressure race and simulates much of what they will experience at the MAC championships and Regional Championships," head coach Vicki Mitchell said. "For the new runners, having this experience is important in learning how to adapt and adjust their approach."
On the men's side, the team placed fourth out of 13 teams, scoring 98 points, which put them right behind Ohio Northern's score of 80. The men were once again led by senior Dan Giza, who finished in fourth place with a time of 25:23.
Following Giza was freshman Ryan Bloom. Bloom finished the course in 25:54, which was good enough for the 17th spot. Junior Dan Healy placed third for the Bulls and 27th overall. He ran the 8K course in 26:17.
Overall, the Kent State Golden Flashes took the men's competition with a total of 32 points, edging out Lansing Community College. Bowling Green's Eddie Kipchoge was able to capture the individual victory for the host Falcons.
The women's squad finished the meet in sixth place out of the 18 teams competing. They were able to rack up a total of 163 points.
The women got two top-five finishes from a couple of their runners. Junior Mary Veith continued her strong season as she finished the 5K course in third place. She ran a time of 17:45.
Mitchell has been thoroughly impressed with Veith's success so far this year. Veith has led the team in virtually every race so far this season.
"Mary did have another very good race," Mitchell said. "She is definitely our front runner, and is handling that position very well."
Following Veith was sophomore Nicole Siblosky, who finished in fifth place. She ran the course in a time of 18:02, which cut off more than a minute and a half off her personal best.
Toledo, another MAC squad, was able to capture the women's meet. The Rockets scored 65 points, which was enough to hold off the 69 points of the Redhawks of Miami (OH). Miami's Laura Neufarth won the individual women's title over the weekend with a time of 17:37.
Mitchell said that she knows that her teams are making progress even though it is hard to judge that by looking at the results of the meets.
"It is impossible to compare times from one cross country course to another because the conditions, terrain, and competition differ greatly," Mitchell said.
The Bulls will have two weeks before they head to Central Michigan University for the MAC Championships. This gives the teams a good amount of time to rest and prepare for the upcoming competition.
"We will take advantage of not traveling this weekend by getting a little extra sleep," Mitchell said. "In addition, it allows us to train for a 12 day period without backing off, thus allowing more physiological gains."
After the MAC Championships, the Bulls will be heading to Boston to compete in the NCAA Northeast Regional Meet. If the runners do well in this race, they will be able to advance to the NCAA Championships.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
