The Yellow Jackets took part in the Dickinson Pre National Meet on Saturday, Oct. 7. In this race they ran individually, which would be a first for this season, as well as the biggest race they have run this year. The women’s race had 359 runners, while the men’s race had 377. Since it was such a big race, Head Coach Chris Hardie only picked the top three men and top two women to race in the meet. 

Hardie explains what challenges could come from bigger race like this one. 

“A bigger race can be tough because for the first two miles you cannot really move left or right.  You are stuck running at the pace of those around you and it gets a little physical at times as people are maneuvering for position,” Hardie said. “It can also be a great way to push yourself, as that pack can really lead you to a faster opening mile than you had anticipated.  Plus, the crowd is big, and you have a lot of adrenaline, so that usually helps push you to be better too.” 

The men’s team saw senior Andrew Kasper and graduate student Quintin Weaver place 184th overall and 263rd respectively. Kasper finished with a time of 27:18.9, while and Weaver finished with a time of 28:23.7. Freshman Lucas Means placed 299th for the Yellow Jackets finishing with a time of 29:08.9.

With the season’s end just around the corner, Kasper shared what he’s most excited for in the following weeks.

“Being able to have one more opportunity to get on the line with my teammates means a lot to me,” Kasper said. “I’m excited to really work hard with my team in my last few races.”

For the women’s team, sophomore Grace Tanksley finished 211th overall, while senior Gabi Reifsnyder finishing 226^th overall. Reifsnyder reflected on her collegiate career, explaining her favorite moments in her four-year career at Waynesburg University. 

“There are too many great memories to pick from when it comes to college cross country. In general, though, I have always appreciated the silly and fun traditions that our team does such as the costume run and date night,” Reifsnyder said. “Without a doubt, I will always be able to look back and appreciate the people I was able to run with throughout my college running career and all the goofy memories we have made.”

The Yellow Jackets will race again this weekend as they will travel to Gettysburg, Pa for the Aubrey Shenk Invitational. They will be racing on two different days this weekend as the first race will take place on Oct. 13, and the other on the 14. This will also be the last race before the Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship.