A cloud of blue and orange screaming, jumping, crying. Pure elation in the Sagehen tent in Newville, Pennsylvania, at Big Springs High School.
On Saturday, Nov. 18, the Pomona-Pitzer (P-P) men’s cross country team won their third NCAA Division III National Championship. Winning their first championship title in 2019 and a second in 2021, the Sagehens have finished first at Nationals three times out of the past four races, a feat only accomplished by three other programs in the nation.
Nevertheless, even with their recent dominance, securing this victory was far from guaranteed. Going into the race ranked at No. 8 nationally, their lowest ranking ahead of Nationals in the past four years, expectations were low.
As the race began, the pre-race projections appeared accurate as P-P got off to a slow start. Trailing Wisconson-La Crosse by 56 points at the six-kilometer mark with just two kilometers left in the race, P-P needed nothing short of a miracle to pull off a first-place finish. Against all odds, they delivered, shifting into high gear in the final stretch of the race. The Sagehens orchestrated a remarkable comeback, narrowly surpassing the Wisconsin Eagles —who finished in second place — by one single point.
Derek Fearon PO ’24 said the team was thrilled by the results, emphasizing that the proximity of the competition made it particularly special as it signified the integral contributions of every runner.
“It was just overwhelming joy, we were so proud of everyone,” Fearon said. “With a one-point win, every person mattered.”
The Sagehens’ success this year falls in stark contrast to their underwhelming performance at Nationals last season. In the fall of 2022, P-P was ranked No.1 by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) every week of the season, even leading up to the NCAA final. Despite that, the Sagehens finished fifth at the meet, failing to make the podium.
However, the Hens were able to switch the narrative on this setback and have used it as a catalyst for positive change this year. Under the guidance of both seasoned senior leaders and a new coaching staff, P-P focused this year on realigning their priorities, directing their focus inward and remembering that this victory is about more than just the gold medal.
Despite ultimately pulling off a championship, Fearon said that the team’s mental approach on race day was affected by external rankings.
“Going in at number eight was really tough,” Fearon said. “It was our worst ranking in my three years [of being] here. We were not expected to win, we were not even expected to make the podium.”
However, their unique position as underdogs allowed the Sagehens to break free of the burden of living up to expectations, something that, according to Fearon, they struggled with the preceding year.
“Last year there was a lot of pressure to do well and a lot of the energy and emotion going into the race was anxiety about doing poorly,” Fearon said. “This year, the attitude was not about it going bad, because it was already going badly. So it was more, ‘What if it goes really well?’ That switch in perspective was really helpful.”
Changes for the Sagehens from last season extended beyond the athletes. This season saw the introduction of a fresh staff, with new head coach Amber Williams and distance coach Emma DeLira leading P-P into a new era.
Williams echoed Fearon, emphasizing how she and DeLira hoped to help the team shift away from fixating on rankings. She said she wanted to help the team prioritize the mental aspect of bouncing back from last year’s disappointing upset.
“[Coaching strategy] was more about making sure that their mental [game] was there more than anything,” Williams said. “I wanted to make sure they weren’t questioning who they were or the talent that they have. I wanted to bring them back and rewrite the story to be one of redemption and resiliency.”
And that she did. Williams made history as the first female head coach to lead the Sagehens to an NCAA victory. With two women at the helm, the Sagehens stand among only a few men’s teams in all of collegiate cross country with female coaches. According to Williams, the team has embraced this change with open arms. She said that despite not being what she called ‘the typical look of a head coach,’ she felt immediately accepted.
“[As a female coach] especially in athletics, because it is such a male-dominated industry, sometimes you kind of second guess yourself … or wonder how you will be accepted,” Williams said. “Luckily for me — and it’s a tribute to these guys and their character — they opened up their arms to myself and coach Emma DeLira. To them, it didn’t matter who the coach was, it was all about their knowledge and ability to help them achieve their goals.”
Fearon expressed his enthusiasm about the team’s role in reshaping the narrative of leadership in sports.
“It certainly means a lot that we’re part of this really small tradition of women coaches in men’s athletics,” Fearon said.
The night before the race, the team gathered to talk about strategy for the next day. However, this meeting, especially for seniors like Fearon running in their last cross country meet, was more than just about discussing tactics.
“We really tried to focus on how grateful we were to be at the race,” Fearon said. “Not every team in the nation gets to go to a national championship and get the opportunity to work for a title, so we really just tried to stay grateful and see what we could do.”
The morning of the final race, Ian Horsburgh PO ’24 said he woke up and felt that he and his teammates could pull off another championship.
“I definitely thought we had it in us to win,” Horsburgch said.
Following the victory, on Nov. 21, the USTFCCCA named Williams as the NCAA DIII Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year. Williams said she is overwhelmed with pride at their win, crediting all of the program’s accomplishments to the team and looking forward to the future.
“For us to have this story-book ending I couldn’t be happier, and I couldn’t be more proud,” Williams said. “Anything that leans in my direction, I always point it back to them. I get … all of these congratulations because they are great people … I’m so excited to see what track and field brings.”
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