Lehigh cross country rivalry win streak lives on

Lehigh men’s and women’s cross country teams have continued to dominate Lafayette, adding another dual meet victory on Sept. 25th. This extends the men’s team’s win streak to 27 years straight and the women’s to 21 years straight.

The men delivered a strong performance with 15 points, the lowest possible score in a cross country dual meet. Cross country meets are scored by the order the runners cross the finish line. The first runner to cross gets one point, the second gets two, and continues until every runner in the dual has crossed the finish line.

The women scored 27 points, beating Lafayette’s 30 points.

Lehigh cross country head coach Debbie Utesch, who’s in her 30th year coaching, said the streak holds more significance than just one race.

“No one on the team is 27 years old, so the last time that Lafayette won, our current team wasn’t even born,” Utesch said.

The Lehigh vs. Lafayette dual meet differs from most collegiate cross country meets because only two teams compete. Utesch said most college races are invitational and have more than two schools competing. Being able to compete in a smaller race, like the dual meet, allows Lehigh runners to run as a group and identify the competition faster and easier.

Senior Noah Zahn said the competition’s atmosphere is like no other, since he can see his teammates the whole time and easily communicate with them.

Zahn said being around teammates makes the race easier to control by running together, especially when running in a large group.

This strategy worked well for the men’s team this year.

Utesch said Lehigh’s first five men’s runners crossed before Lafayette’s first runner, giving Lehigh the lowest possible score of 15 points.

She also said sophomore Sawyer Macy’s performance over the last 600 meters of the race passed Lafayette’s fastest runner to secure the Lehigh sweep.

“He dug deep and ran really hard to outkick somebody to secure the 15-point low score,” Utesch said.

For Lehigh, the rivalry is more than just a race.

One tradition in this rivalry is the Brian Mundey trophy, which travels back and forth based on the winner of cross country, indoor and outdoor track competitions. The trophy honors Bryan Mundey ‘86, who died in 2001.

Another tradition the Mountain Hawks have is their run from Lafayette’s campus back to Lehigh, which covers about 16 to18 miles. Seniors get to decide whether they run the full distance or not.

The women’s team also has a tradition of spirit week, including a pasta party, leading up to the meet. First-year runner Ella Blanco, said the team dresses in different themes, including Adam Sandler dress-up day, and Wacky Wednesday. Before the meet, the first-years also complete a scavenger hunt that leads to a seniors house for the pasta party.

“That was definitely the most hype and excited the team has had for a meet,” Blanco said.

Blanco is recovering from a back and hip injury but was still able to compete for half of the race. She said she followed the team’s strategy of staying together and helping teammates that were running alone.

She also said the team was confident because of their long win streak, but they also knew the pressure to uphold the legacy of the rivalry.

“If we can do it that many times, then we can do it again,” Blanco said. “But it definitely also brought some nerves because you don’t want to lose a streak that’s been going on that long.”

For Zahn, this year’s race was more significant because it was his last Lehigh vs. Lafayette cross country dual meet.

“It just makes me really grateful to have had this experience and to get a chance to do it one more time,” Zahn said.

Zahn said completing his Lehigh cross country career without losing the Lafayette dual was something he wanted to accomplish not just for himself but also for the runners who’ll continue the rivalry.