This past Saturday, Nov. 15, Houghton College hosted the National Christian College Athletic Association Cross Country Nationals. Altogether, 375 men and women participated from both divisions 1 and 2 of the NCCAA. Schools came from all over the country, including Dallas and California.
The morning of the race was snowy and 25ºF at the course marked off on the Field of Dreams. At 10 a.m., the women’s 5000 meter race began. With the sound of the gunshot, 180 women took off in stampede across the field, later funneling into a narrower route through the woods and around the outside of the field.
Of these 180 women, seven were runners from Houghton’s team: Cara Davenport, Christel Enriquez-Fisher, Joanna Friesen, Ella Hotchkiss, Rachel Hummel, Judith Marklin, and Katrina Relyea. Friesen, a sophomore who placed first among Houghton runners and 25th overall, commented on how she felt about the run, “The race on Saturday was different, it’s easy to find excuses in difficult weather but sometimes you’ve just got to race tough because in cross country there’s always variables to negotiate.” She appreciated the support from friends, family, and community members. “Fans cheering us on really makes the race for me,” she said.
“The team that made it to nationals, for the girls, was great… It’s very strange to be at the end of the season; we’ve been running and training all summer and up until this weekend. It was sweet to end the season at home with a lot of home fans and the home course advantage of snow!” said Friesen.
Following the women’s race, the men’s 8000 meter started at 11 a.m. A similar scene of stampeding followed another gunshot. 195 men participated in the almost 5 mile race. Their course was carved out similarly to the women’s, but with an additional lap around the Field of Dreams. Luke DeBoer was the sole representative of Houghton’s men’s cross country in this race. He ran a 28:48.4. At 5:48 per mile, this sets a personal record for the runner.
This was the first time that Houghton has ever hosted the NCCAA Cross Country Nationals, this year has also seen a new coach for cross country, Patrick Hager, take on this responsibility. According to Hagar, hosting the championships took a lot of work, including bi-monthly meetings, which started this summer. “We have a lot to work on next year, but I would say this event was a huge success. We got a lot of compliments on our facilities, housing options, dining hall food, and the cross country course,” he said. “I got the vibe from the NCCAA coaches and administration that they’re excited to come back next year.” Overall, Hagar said there were a few unexpected events that were not detrimental to the event, but set them back a bit. There were also administrative issues that he believes will be easily fixed next year.
Hagar felt that the teams’ performances were up and down. He said, “Some of our women performed very well, but our top group was plagued with a few acute injuries that hurt us.”
However, in the end he was proud of how the athletes performed. “All you can hope for, as a coach, is that your athletes run their best the last time they toe the line for the season. Luke did this in some tough conditions. I knew he was ready for it.”