A disc golf course and landmark ice cream shack might seem an unconventional venue for the first practice of two college cross country teams. But Roy’s All Steak Hamburger and Golf Center in Auburn proved to be the ideal gathering spot for the �ֲ���ý men’s and women’s teams as they embark on their second season as one program. 

As head coach Danny Feldman called out ice cream orders in the age-old practice of snack shacks everywhere, the 49 runners who surrounded him at the counter one by one grabbed their soft-serve celebratory cones and — having just run anywhere from nine to 13 miles — had at it. 

For a half century, the �ֲ���ý men’s and women’s cross country teams were run as two separate programs until the college changed that last year. When Feldman took over as head coach of the program in the 2022 season, he wanted to build a unified culture. Quirky and silly as it may sound, Roy’s was a part of that.

Using the iconic venue for the program’s first workout — and as a fun way to welcome �ֲ���ý’ first-years to the teams — is just one of many new practices Feldman is using to shape the two teams into a single culture focused on community and transparency. The team used to use the disc golf course on occasion. Now the Auburn landmark is their regular Wednesday-workout training ground. 

“It started last year when I arrived, but I’m making it a tradition,” Feldman said of Roy’s. “I thought that after a summer of training, much of which was completely individual, it would be special and symbolic to celebrate our first workout of the year as a team — and our new team members, with ice cream.”

Some other ways Feldman aims to build community in the program is by requiring the runners to report their mileage on the GPS app, Strava, something that was done occasionally in the past, but now occurs program-wide. He also instituted “community runs” every Thursday, when the men’s and women’s teams run together (sometimes joined by fans from faculty and staff). The relaxed runs are intended to emphasize rest and recovery — something Feldman is big on.

“They’ve all picked a silly sport to do. You’re competing in three (consecutive) seasons. It’s physically, mentally and spiritually draining,” Feldman said. “They need to recharge.” 

The regular Wednesday training runs at Roy’s is yet one more new custom added to the Bobcat’s newly unified program. 

“Whenever I start a new coaching job I look up places to run on Google Maps. I asked the seniors for suggestions,” Feldman said. “This place is five minutes away. The grass mimics a cross country course. I love Roy’s. The workouts are hard, but they build confidence. They also should leave feeling they had a bit more left. We’re looking for consistency.”

While a disc golf course may be a bit unconventional as a regular training ground for a college cross country team, Roy’s has quickly become a favorite among the Bobcats. They used to train more at their home race course, Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, a half-hour drive from campus. Now they consider Roy’s their home turf. (Another occasional local workout spot for �ֲ���ý cross country teams has long been Riverside Cemetery. Back in the mid-1970s during the Walt Slovenski era, workouts here were called “graveyards.”)

“When we were running on the course last year, someone was throwing a disc while we ran past, that was definitely odd,” said Kahryn Cullenberg ’24 of Chesterville, Maine, with a laugh. 

“We also use Strava more. This summer we could see what everyone was running. It was fun to check and see their photos and maps of their courses. Everyone is running fast paces early. “

Cullenberg said she prefers Roy’s because the disc golf course is closer to campus than Pineland Farms and it’s more similar to other NESCAC courses, which mostly run through grassy, flat fields, rather than woods. She also appreciates that Roy’s offers far-reaching views, so she can see her teammates training hard in the distance.

Feldman’s efforts to build community and unity have been welcomed by Bobcats on both teams, which have already seen success in his short tenure. Last season, the women’s team finished 14th in the country at the NCAA Championships, matching their best showing ever on the national stage, while the men’s team qualified for the national meet for the 11th time in program history, placing 22nd.

The one-program approach at �ֲ���ý also is now the norm in track and field. Come the indoor season, Curtis Johnson serves as the head coach of both teams, while Feldman is one of the assistant coaches.

On Aug. 23, after a lengthy warmup, four groups of women, five groups of men, and one group made up of both, set off one-by-one at near-race pace. According to Feldman, putting male runners rebounding from injuries in a group of women learning to run near race pace can serve both.

“That was my group,” said Ben Huston ’25 of Vergennes, Vt. “Myself and two other guys are getting over injuries. We helped the women with pacing and they helped us get back to training. It’s a nice way to get to know them. We’ve had different training programs the past two years. People really like it. People are really committed. As a team, we look really good.”

As the Bobcats circled the half-mile circuit around the disc course a dozen times, Feldman stood at the flagged starting line yelling encouragement, joined by assistants Art Feeley and Alison Leonard ‘10. The pace run by the 10 groups varied widely, but the message delivered by Feldman in myriad cheers was the same.

“Ladies and gentlemen, you look great. Keep it up,” he said to one group, before turning to another with: “Nice job, ladies. Welcome back to cross country!”

Imagine being at a golf tournament and hearing the gallery shout out advice like “Cup your wrist!” or “Rotate through!” during Jordan Spieth’s backswing.

That’s par for the course during a cross country race, where spectators crowd close to the runners, cheer enthusiastically, and sometimes offer tips like “Take deep breaths” or “Only one last hill!”

We’ve always wanted to know what top-flight runners think of all that advice. So, right before they headed onto the course for the NESCAC Women’s Cross Country Championship on Oct. 28, we asked a few Bobcat runners their thoughts about a few choice cheers.

The �ֲ���ý men and women return to action on Saturday, Nov. 11, for the NCAA New England Regional Championships at the University of Southern Maine.

For the fourth time ever and the first time since 2008, the �ֲ���ý cross country programs get to host the NESCAC Championships this Saturday at Pineland Farms. The men race at noon and the women race at 1:00 p.m.

Both the men and the women won the Maine State Championship this year, and both squads show up in the national rankings, with the men ranked 28th and the women ranked 14th in all of Division III.

“We’re super excited,” women’s captain Callie Reynolds ’18 of West Hartford, Conn. said. “We found out last fall and at first it was exciting and then it was scary because it’s a 6K at Pineland which is a lot considering how intense the hills are there. But now it’s back to exciting again!”

Pineland Farms gives the Bobcats a great home course advantage.

“At Pineland, it’s super windy (as in curvy) and confusing and it took me and I’m sure a lot of people almost a year to figure it out,” says men’s captain Zach Magin ’18 of West Hartford, Conn.

Reynolds points out that the Bobcats’ knowledge of the course means they are able to pace themselves properly.

“Hopefully at the end of the race when everyone else is dying we’ll be able to be like ‘I know this hill and I can finish strong!'”, says Reynolds.

Bud Horne ’49 didn’t start running until he got to �ֲ���ý. But once he started, he didn’t stop.

On July 29, the 92-year-old World War II veteran, �ֲ���ý running standout, and retired Presbyterian minister ran the Chautauqua Old First Night Run/Walk, sponsored by the in New York.

Horne wore a �ֲ���ý sweatshirt as he accepted the Young at Heart Award for being the oldest male finisher. “I wanted to make sure everybody knew I was from �ֲ���ý,” says Horne, who is president of his class and, as student, was a track captain and a Maine state champion in cross-country.

+Bud Horne's 10 Unofficial Rules for Running and Walking

Horne has only missed a few of the races since they started 40 years ago at the famed Chautauqua Institution, a 750-acre education center and retreat where he lives year-round. He’s won every race category for his age group, he says.

“I still have all of the shirts,” he says.

Bud Horne, 92, holds his Young at Heart Award for being the Oldest Male Finisher at the Old First Night Run/Walk on Saturday, July 29, 2017. (Photograph by Erin Clark / The Daily Chautauquan)

Bud Horne, center, talks to his friend, Bob Laubach, also 92, after the race on Saturday, July 29, 2017. (Photograph by Erin Clark / The Daily Chautauquan)

Bud Horne, 92, talks to his friend Carl Pegels, 85, after The Old First Night Run/Walk on Saturday, July 29, 2017. (Photograph by Erin Clark / The Daily Chautauquan)

Bud Horne, 92, finishes The Old First Night Run on Saturday, July 31, 2017. Horne has been running in the race since it first started, over 40 years ago. (Photograph by Erin Clark / The Daily Chautauquan)

Horne dedicated the race to his wife, Betty, who died in June after 65 years of marriage, and their late friend, Peggy Ulasewicz. Three of the Hornes’ eight children are alumni:  Sandra Horne Marshall ’76, Ian Horne ’80, and Donald Horne ’83.

Competitive runners, of course, need to train and watch what they eat, but Horne refers the recreational runner to his “Ten unofficial rules for runners and walkers,” a letter to the editor published in The Daily Chautauquan. (He originally wanted to call them his Ten Commandments, but the newspaper told him not to, he said.) The Chautauquan recently published an .

And “keep at it,” he says. “Do it as often as you can. Take it easy, don’t strain, but do what you can.”

In the past few years, Horne has slowed down, he says. He walked some of this year’s Old First Night race, finishing the 2.7-mile course in about 45 minutes.

But as long as he’s going, he’s going.

“It’s great, as long as I can do it,” he said.

Rob Gomez ’05 speaks to the Maine media after the Beach to Beacon on Aug. 5, 2017. (Photograph by Ann Kaplan)

“Rob respects and honors his sport,” Fereshetian says. “He knows exactly who he’s racing against.”

Stopping just short of the finish line, Gomez releases Orach. (Photograph by Ann Kaplan)

The pair nears the finish line, Gomez grimacing as he guides Orach. (Photograph by Ann Kaplan)

Rob Gomez '05 (right) helps a faltering Jesse Orach as they near the finish line of the Beach to Beacon on Aug. 5. (Photograph by Ann Kaplan)

Orach tumbles over the finish line to capture first place in the Maine-resident division of the race. (Photograph by Ann Kaplan)

“Rob deserves a medal for what he did, but knowing Rob, he’d never wear it.”

Rob Gomez ’05 runs for �ֲ���ý as a sophomore in 2002. (Daryn Slover for �ֲ���ý College)

In this issue:

1. Video: Behind the scenes with the Bobcats at the NCAA Cross Country Championships

2. Psychology department receives national award for service to the discipline

3. Video: Alex Bolden ’15 and the 2013 Sankofa performance

4. With presidential installation complete, Spencer heads to Welcome Events

5. Hospital reveals inside story for physics students exploring medical imaging

6. Did you know? Goosie and the peat bog

7. Emily Kane’s book The Gender Trap attracts media interest

8. Video: First-graders give a ‘�ֲ���ý-�ֲ���ý’ cheer

9. End-of-year giving info: How to contact the �ֲ���ý Fund during the holidays

10. �ֲ���ý in the News

1. Video: Behind the scenes with the Bobcats at the NCAA Cross Country Championships

�ֲ���ý photographer and videographer Mike Bradley, a former collegiate runner himself, traveled with the men’s and women’s cross country teams to the NCAA Division III Championships in November. Here, he offers behind-the-scenes stories that capture the mindset of �ֲ���ý’ elite runners as they head into intense national competition.

2. Psychology department receives national award for service to the discipline

In various realms, the �ֲ���ý psychology department provides robust service to their discipline and, by extension, the people and communities they engage with. That service has earned �ֲ���ý top honors from the American Psychological Association.

3. Video: Alex Bolden ’15 and the 2013 Sankofa performance

�ֲ���ý photographer and videographer Phyllis Graber Jensen profiles Alex Bolden ’15 of Cleveland, Ohio, director of the 2013 Sankofa performance set for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. A relative newcomer to the �ֲ���ý arts scene, Sankofa is a loose-knit, creative student collaboration that has drawn critical applause for its vibrant, artistic interpretations of the African diasporic experience.

4. With presidential installation complete, Spencer heads to the Welcome Events

Following President Clayton Spencer’s installation on Oct. 26, she is now embarking on a series of visits to �ֲ���ý alumni, parents and friends, the first of which were in Hartford, Boston and New York City. Coming up in early 2013 are Welcome Events in Washington, D.C. (Feb. 6), Chicago (March 5) and Seattle (March 7).

5. Hospital reveals inside story for physics students exploring medical imaging

A hospital visit isn’t high on anyone’s list of compelling moments, but for 23 �ֲ���ý students in a 100-level course, heading to St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center is part of a course curriculum designed to attract students to physics.

6. Did you know? Goosie and the peat bog

In the winter of 1917–18, the U.S faced a coal shortage caused by botched federal attempts to regulate national fuel distribution during World War I. With alternative fuels on the minds of many, Professor of Greek George Millett Chase told the Lewiston Evening Journal that the city should mine peat from Garcelon Bog, about a mile east of campus. The bog, said the professor nicknamed “Goosie,” could yield enough energy “to heat all [Lewiston’s] homes for one thousand years.”

7. Emily Kane’s book The Gender Trap attracts media interest

In recent interviews with public radio, Professor of Sociology Emily Kane, author of The Gender Trap, emphasizes a theme of her new book: While parents often try to lead their children into  experiences beyond gender stereotypes, social pressure pushes parents back into traditional attitudes and actions.

8. Video: First-graders give a ‘�ֲ���ý-�ֲ���ý’ cheer

First-graders at Equitas Academy, a charter school in Los Angeles, school the rest of us on how to give a �ֲ���ý cheer.

9. End-of-year giving info: How to reach the �ֲ���ý Fund during the holidays

Though college offices are closed Dec. 24 through Jan. 1, those wanting to make year-end gifts by phone, or needing to ask gift questions, including instructions for securities transfers, will have help. The toll-free �ֲ���ý gift line, 1-888-522-8371, will be staffed Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 26-28, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and on Monday, Dec. 31, until 9 p.m. Our Advancement colleagues tell us that uncertainty around fiscal cliff discussions and possible tax changes in 2013 have prompted some donors to make their annual gifts before the end of calendar 2012.

10. �ֲ���ý in the News

In a letter to The New York Times, Dana Professor of Anthropology Danny Danforth takes issue with characterizations in the new book On Saudi Arabia. The landmark astrophotography exhibition at the Museum of Art garners another glowing review, this time in the Maine Sunday Telegram. Lena Sene ’00, considered an expert in private equity investing in Africa, is named one of the most influential women in corporate America by Savoy Magazine.

�ֲ���ý photographer and videographer Mike Bradley produced this audio slide show about the competitiveness, camaraderie and mutual respect of the women’s cross country team as it treks to Terre Haute, Ind., for the 2012 NCAA Division III Championships on Nov. 17.

Championship meet story here.

Devin Dilts '11

In his first semester at �ֲ���ý after transferring from Vanderbilt University, sophomore Devin Dilts capped an impressive debut season with the Bobcat men’s cross country team on Saturday at the New England Division III Cross Country Championships, hosted by Williams College.

Dilts (Roscoe, Ill.) covered the 8-kilometer course at Mt. Greylock High School in 26:57.1, good for 25th place overall out of 331 runners. Dilts’ time was the third-fastest ever run at the Williams course by a �ֲ���ý man. Dilts was also the second sophomore in the entire field to cross the finish line. For his top-35 performance, Dilts captured All-Region honors, while junior teammate Doug Brecher (Waban, Mass.) missed repeating as All-New England by finishing in 36th place, just one-tenth of a second out of 35th.

�ֲ���ý scored 330 points, topping such competition as 14th-place Springfield (370) and 15th-place Wesleyan (380), finishing 13th out of 49 teams at the meet.

Esther Kendall '10

Something about the New England Division III Regional Cross Country Championships seems to bring out the best in �ֲ���ý junior Esther Kendall. For the second straight year, Kendall picked New Englands to lead the �ֲ���ý women’s cross country team for the first time all season.

Kendall (Ridgeway, Ontario) led a team performance that showcased impressive depth and balance, as the Bobcats, who entered the race ranked No. 10 in New England, placed eighth out of 49 teams. Kendall finished 43rd out of 330 runners in the race at Williams College’s home course, covering the 6 kilometers in a time of 24:16.8, meanwhile edging out a pack of teammates who were close behind, including sophomore Liz Rowley (Evanston, Ill.) in 47th at 24:25.3, sophomore Alex Alberto (Concord, Mass.) in 50th at 24:27.3, sophomore Chloe Bourne (Litchfield, Conn.) in 54th at 24:34.4, junior Abby Samuelson (Freeport, Maine) in 74th at 24:55.3 and senior Allie Goldstein (Needham, Mass.) in 76th at 24:56.4.

At last year’s New Englands, Kendall was placed 47th out of 344 runners, again leading a tight pack of Bobcats, as �ֲ���ý finished in ninth place.

Devin Dilts ’11 made a splash in his first collegiate 8-kilometer race on Saturday, running the fourth-fastest time for a �ֲ���ý male at Tufts University’s home course in Grafton, Mass., at the annual Jumbo Invitational.

Dilts (Roscoe, Ill.), who transferred to �ֲ���ý from Vanderbilt University this fall, crossed the finish line in 27:20.22 and placed fourth overall out of 84 competitors in the 8K, which was run on an adjusted course that likely measures a bit more than 8,000 meters. The Bobcats finished third out of 10 teams in the race, and Dilts earned NESCAC Men’s Cross Country Performer of the Week honors.

�ֲ���ý next competes at the Wesleyan Invitational on Sept. 27.