After a week off from competition, the men’s and women’s cross-country teams hosted the 31st annual Geneseo Cross Country Invitational on Saturday Oct. 1. Both squads came away with the team title, the men finishing ahead of SUNY Brockport and the women finishing ahead of Hamilton College, both with a score of 23 points.

“My goal was to not have to run too hard but still win, and that happened on both sides,” said head coach Mike Woods.

Senior Alyssa Smith was the lone exception, who battled with Houghton College senior Danielle Brenon for the women’s individual title. Smith finished second overall in a time of 22 minutes and 39 seconds, 9.1 seconds behind Brenon.

“Everybody else just settled in and ran comfortable, it was kind of like a special workout really,” said Woods.  

Despite Smith’s impressive performance and the team’s overall success, they were dealt a tough blow – junior Marissa Liberati remains out due to injury.

“[Liberati’s] not ready. We’re at the breaking point there. She may have to lose this season,” said Woods. Liberati was expected to join the team at the upcoming meet against St. Lawrence University, but that seems all but impossible at this point.

“I wish she were healthy now and ready to go at St. Lawrence but she’s not. She’s very disappointed,” Woods said. “I’m still thinking that we can probably get on the podium anyhow, it’s just that we probably could have climbed a little higher with [Liberati].”

With Smith leading the way, the Knights still have a lot of depth, especially with the emergence of freshman Cassie Goodman and junior Emily Sullivan who coach Woods described as “frontrunners.”

Once again, senior Lee Berube led the men’s squad, winning the individual title in a time of 25:59. Berube joins Matt Annabel ‘97 as the race’s only three-time champion.

“[Berube] is clearly, I think, Geneseo’s best distance runner in history. He hasn’t taken all of Ted Turner’s [‘05] marks yet but he will,” said Woods. “I believe and he believes that he can win the NCAA championship, the individual title. I have no doubt that he can do that.”

Right behind Berube was Geneseo alumnus Tim Chichester ‘10 who finished second in a time just above 26:00. Seniors Mark Streb and Eddie Novara finished third and sixth for the Knights, respectively.

“The men, clearly, now as the picture unfolds, have a chance to challenge for the [national] championship,” said Woods. “Now, I may be raining down bad luck on them, after all, I said that last year … but I like the men’s chances, their workouts have been good. The big thing is health.”

Unlike the women, the men received some positive health news as junior Tom Clark ran an abbreviated race on Oct. 1 and plans on competing for the first time this season against St. Lawrence, a meet of particular importance for both squads.

“This is the meet where we find out where we are, how good we are and what we have to work on. This is a telltale meet for us,” said Woods.

Geneseo travels to St. Lawrence on Saturday Oct. 8, and Woods said that they plan to, “Run like hell, that’s the strategy.”