It can be easy to get lost in the mix at times, when you're the member of a great cross country team like Bates'. Such may be the case, at times, with junior Mike Martin (Slatersville, R.I.), who continues to evolve into an outstanding runner and for the past two years has been a consistent high scorer for the Bobcats, who are currently ranked fifth in Division III and first in New England.
Bates further solidified its lofty national ranking with last weekend's head-to-head victory over Tufts University on Saturday at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester. The Bobcats not only defeated the Jumbos, who were ranked seventh in the country and second in New England -- they beat them by a pretty convincing score, 85-126. Each team's top 10 runners figured into the scoring, as opposed to the conventional five-deep system.
Leading the way for the Bobcats were junior All-American Tully Hannan (West Hartford, Conn.), who crossed the finish line just ahead of Martin, with an identical time of 25:59.
Hannan, Martin, senior Andrew Wortham (Newton, Mass.) and senior James LePage (Cumberland, Maine) all ran faster times than the previous team best at Pineland, which was Hannan's 25:59 at the 2011 State of Maine Championship. (The course record is an amazing 25:07, set by former national champion Peter Kosgei of Hamilton.)
Martin and Hannan also tied for Bates' fifth-fastest 5-mile time in team history.
The Bobcats return to action on Saturday, Sept. 29, at the Pop Crowell Invitational at Gordon College in Wenham, Mass.
