This summer Houghton’s maintenance crew made significant changes to the cross-country course. Alterations included widening the course path and changing the overall route. The new course aspects will be vital as the college prepares to host nearly 500 athletes for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Cross Country National Championships on November fifteenth.
Cross-country head coach, Patrick Hager, elaborated on the changes, “They cut out a section by the tree of life and there is a portion that goes through the center of the [soccer] field that is now part of the course as the start and finish.” Hager also elaborated on the widening of the course and stated, “It’s important because for NCAA the course needs to be 110 meters wide, so the widening of the course was necessary to make that happen.”
The widening of the course will also allow runners to be better able to pass one another in competition and reduce the chances of contestants cutting corners or running outside the lined course to gain position.
Senior cross-country member, Jonathan Lewis, appreciates the changes made to the course, but was disappointed with some aspects. Lewis said, “I personally don’t like the course as much. The previous course took us down a path that was scenic and that part is no longer in the current course.”
Lewis also commented on the versatility of the course, and the college’s ability to now hold larger meets and invitational events. He said, “It will allow us to host nationals which is a great incentive.”
This benefit of hosting larger meets and events is something Coach Hager is very excited about. From a recruiting perspective, Hager stated, “I think it’s going to be big because of the exposure from hosting the National Championship.”
He explained the surface of the course is nicer and recognized Houghton College employee, Dan Wolcott, as a necessary part of the process. Hager said, “He has been instrumental in this whole thing of providing a quality training surface.” Hager feels he and his team are being taken care of here, and there is a community that cares about how the team is doing and wants to see them succeed.
While Hagar thinks the course will benefit the future of the college, Lewis is unsure, he said, “Honestly I don’t know if the course change will benefit the college, yet in the long run it will allow us to hold larger meets.” This ability, he said, “Is good for the college.”
The course alterations provide a greater opportunity for the course to receive more exposure from hosting different events. Recently, on October 4, the course was used for the homecoming 5k fun run.
Junior, and participant in the race, Ashley Schenk, reflected on the race and the changes she noticed. “I definitely enjoyed running on the new course,” she said. “It felt like we were backtracking less with the new course than last year when I ran the race.” According to Schenk the most noticeable change was in the end of the course, she said, “There was a longer straight away where we were running toward the people, which made it more fun.”