Penn cross country's 2023 season is quickly coming to a close, with the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships scheduled for this upcoming Saturday. Ahead of this season-defining meet, The Daily Pennsylvanian sat down with associate head coach Matt Gosselin to learn more about the season that was, and to preview what’s left to come.
The men’s team opened the season with second and first place finishes at the Lehigh and Main Line Invitationals, respectively, while the women’s team placed first and second in those two meets. The women’s squad followed that performance with an impressive showing at Boston College’s Battle in Beantown, placing second in a crowded field of sixteen teams.
Despite already accumulating strong performances this season, Gosselin sees an even brighter future for the Quakers.
"[We] emphasize being at our competitive best during the championship portion of the season," he said. At Ivy Heps, one could expect a Penn team that's “at [their] fittest and strongest and racing [their] best.”
The season hasn’t all been smooth sailing, though. In the week preceding Virgina’s XC23 Invitational, Maeve Stiles required stitches after sustaining an injury when she fell in practice. The senior captain has been the leader of the Quakers in most events this season, coming in first among Penn runners in half of the meets this season. Running without Stiles posed a challenge, but as Gosselin recalls, the situation “ended up being a galvanizing moment where a lot of people were able to take that opportunity and step up and see some competitive success for the team.”
Now, with Ivy Heps on the horizon, both squads have to put in the work, starting with early-season heavy training, progressing to fine-tuned workouts, and finishing with race tactic study. Now all that's left is to run the race.
“The hay is in the barn,” Gosselin remarked, as he stressed the teams' "desire and hunger to come away with an Ivy League championship.”
This year's Ivy League Heptagonal Championships will take place on Saturday in Boston's Franklin Park. While the festivities will be broadcast on ESPN+, Gosselin recommends attending in person.
“Cross country races as a spectator are one of the most fun events that you could possibly attend," he said. "You need to be prepared to run around, you need to be prepared to yell and scream. It’s one of the most unique and exciting experiences to be a part of a group that’s so close and so involved with the race.”
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