SCHMECKPEPER ENDS COLLEGIATE CROSS COUNTRY CAREER WITH EIGHTH PLACE FINISH AT NATIONALS
November 20, 2004
Bringing a fitting climax to a spectacular collegiate career in the sport of cross country, Ben Schmeckpeper made the best of his fourth consecutive NCAA Division III Championship opportunity by finishing in eighth place with a time 24:49, earning his second All America Award.
The NCAA Division III Regional Male Runner of the Year, Schmeckpeper, a Wisconsin native from Shorewood, thought he could make a run for the individual title here at the White Tail Golf Course in Colfax, Wisconsin. The meet, hosted by the University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire, began with temperatures in the upper 30's and a brisk wind swirling around the course. The favorite to win, defending champion Josh Moen of Wartburg College, wasted no time in taking command of the race. Shortly after the mile mark, Moen gapped the field. Schmeckpeper and a couple of others made the attempt to get back with Moen, but he made a second surge and no one ever made up the difference.
Schmeckpeper made the effort to gradually get back to the leader, and in the process left himself vulnerable to the small pack that was content with racing for second place. Last year's runner up, Macharia Yuot of Widener College, was the only one to come close to Moen, closing the gap to within 20 meters at three and a half miles into the race. Shortly after that, he paid the price, eventually falling back to 24th place. Schmeckpeper also paid the price, falling from third place at the three mile mark to 11th place just before the four mile mark. The last mile, a gradual hill going up for approximately a half mile, followed by a gradual downhill to the finish, challenged Schmeckpeper not to fall back and to continue to fight for one of the top spots.
Just as he refused to end his cross country career without going for the individual title, Schmeckpeper refused to give up without putting every ounce of effort into his final race. Coming into the finish Schmeckpeper moved up to eighth place and held it to match the second highest NCAA finish by an MIT individual (Jesse Darley '95) in the past 20 years. Only Dan Feldman in 2001, who finished in fourth, has finished higher in this illustrious race.
After some time of getting his base mileage back, Schmeckpeper is looking forward to his final indoor and outdoor track seasons where he hopes to match this years cross country success.