|
Goshen, IN – Fielding the largest roster — 16 athletes — in the Doug Yoder era, the Goshen College men’s cross country team made quick proof of its collective depth Saturday, staking a share of the Goshen College Hokum Karem Championship for the first time in the event’s history.
Goshen finished with just 11 points — equaling the mark scored by Mid-Central Conference foe Huntington University — to snare the co-championship with the Foresters. A uniquely styled event, runners are paired with teammates and then take turns running one-mile increments in Hokum Karems. Each runner jaunts a total of five miles — the finishing time equating to the collective mark between the tandem.
With only the top three pairs from each team accounting for scoring (the lower the score, the better), it was Goshen that did not benefit from that rule. Huntington captured its 11 points via a first-place (one point), third-place (three points) and ninth-place finish (seven points), while the Leafs’ top five pairs finished above the Foresters’ third tandem. When the mathematics — and event rules shook down — Goshen wound up with a tie result, perhaps only mathematically.
“Because of the scoring system used for the meet, we ended up tying Huntington, but it was really an outstanding collective effort from our men,” said Yoder, who begins his fourth season at the helm of the Leafs’ cross country program. “There is great team depth on the men’s team and that is going to show up throughout the season. We have six to eight guys who are running very close together and will continue to do so at a faster pace as the season progresses.”
Senior Jake Gillette and junior David Rumsey finished first for Goshen and second overall in a combined time of 52:37, just under a minute off the pace from Huntington’s top tandem. The Leafs then stole the show, taking the fourth-place through seventh-place slots in a dominant team performance. Sophomore Ben Bouwman teamed with Dietrich Eitzen for fourth overall, senior Nick Adkins and sophomore Nick Bouwman finished fifth, while sophomore Andy Brubaker and freshman Paul Versluis took home sixth and sophomore John Tamirat and freshman Robert Hooley finished seventh.
With only the top three running tandems accounting for team scoring, Goshen’s sixth- and seventh-place teams did not cumulate points, allowing Huntington seven total points for ninth place instead of — arguably — the more appropriate nine points.
“(When we instituted the event) we should have accounted for all running pairs to factor into the point system, and not just the top three,” Yoder said. “Regardless of the scoring, it was a great meet for our men, no questions.”
Benedictine University rounded off the participating squads, though not scoring due to only two running pairs finishing.
Saturday marked the third season-opening Goshen Hokum Karem. The Leafs will open the traditional meet portion of their schedule next Saturday at the Defiance College Invitational.
“This event is really fun for the fans, and it’s a nice way to ease into competitive running, especially for some of our younger guys,” Yoder said. “We are looking forward to seeing just how our team depth pans out in typical matches beginning next weekend.”
Goshen College Hokum Karem Official Results
Men's Results
5 x 1 Mile x 2 persons
1. Goshen College 11
1. Huntington University 11
3. Benedictine University --
Place Name School (Scoring Value) Time
1. Lindbloom/Njeri, - HUN (1) 51:44.00
2. Gillette/Rumsey, - GOS (2) 52:37.00
3. Lehman/Diehl, - HUN (3) 53:03.00
4. B Bouwman/Eitzen, - GOS (4) 53:51.00
5. Adkins/N Bouwman, - GOS (5) 54:33.00
6. Brubaker/Versluis, - GOS (--) 56:27.00
7. Tamirat/Hooley, - GOS (--) 57:00.00
8. Vanderbilt/Arman, - BEN (6 )57:17.00
9. Hindes/Barnett, - HUN (7) 57:51.00
10. Andrews/Boyer, - HUN (--) 58:06.00
11. Keener/Wyse, - GOS (--) 58:47.00
12. Miller/Stuckey, - GOS (--) 61:39.00
13. Ponce/Poro, - BEN (8) 62:41.00
|
Senior Jake Gillette