Since 1999, Elizabethtown College has won eight Middle Atlantic Conference titles in men's cross-country and three in women's cross-country.
Sounds like a program in which winning comes naturally, right?
Not exactly.
"It's always a challenge," Chris Straub, E-town's director of cross-country and track and field, said Wednesday. "You have to be patient."
According to Straub, in his 10th season at E-town, patience means giving individuals, as well as teams, time to develop.
In recent years, E-town has had a number of unheralded high school runners turn into stars for the Blue Jays. Likewise, E-town teams that weren't rated highly early in the season have surprised their opponents in the biggest meets at year's end.
E-town's latest MAC title came last Saturday, when the women's team edged Messiah 43-49 at Lancaster County Central Park for its second straight league title.
Before the meet, Messiah was ranked second in the Mideast Region and 22nd in the nation in Division III. E-town wasn't ranked in the region's top 10.
Tiffany Kulp, a senior from Pennridge High School, overcame a foot injury to lead the Blue Jays with a second-place finish (23:07.94 on the 6-kilometer course), behind Messiah's Jennifer Kooser (22:40.87).
Kulp, a national qualifier last spring in the 1,500 in outdoor track, was third in last year's MAC cross-country meet and had beaten Kooser earlier in the season.
"Tiffany was not that happy with her race," Brian Falk, the women's head coach, said. "She tweaked her plantar fascia during the race and was in survivor mode."
After a couple of days off, Kulp is feeling much better and will be ready for the NCAA Mideast Regionals next Saturday at Waynesburg College.
"Tiffany's as consistent as they come," Straub said. "All signs point to a top 15 or top 10 in the region."
Kulp is a top-notch runner and student. A biochemistry/pre-med major, she spent part of the summer in Flagstaff, Ariz., training at high altitude.
"She's the heart and soul of the team," Straub said. "She's a coach's dream."
Three other Blue Jays finished in the top 10 in the MAC meet: junior Megan VanDenHengel, seventh in 23:51.32; sophomore Kristen O'Brien, eighth (23:52.01); and senior Amanda Daws, ninth (23:53.02). Sophomore Teresa Beshore was 17th (24:46.28).
"We had a plan, and we executed that plan," said Falk, who's in his second year with the program and first as head coach.
Part of that plan was hatched after the women saw E-town's men's team struggle in the heat Saturday on a hilly course.
"It made an impression," said Falk, who was named the MAC's Coach of the Year. "The idea was to have a measured effort the start, and not to try to win the race in the first mile."
E-town's men's team finished second to Messiah, 27-36.
Senior Jeremy Matula, from Northampton High School, led the Blue Jays with a third-place finish, 27:42.42 on the 8-kilometer course.
Matula played soccer but didn't run in high school.
"He came out in his sophomore year, and we were careful not to run him too much," Straub, the men's head coach, said. "He's just come into his own."
Senior Scott Derkacz was fourth (27:43.08), first-year student Colby Miller sixth (27:51.39), senior Dylan Rulander 11th (28:16.96), first-year student Eric Reichert 12th (28:20.04), first-year student Charlie Larsen 13th (28:20.65), sophomore Rich Greco 15th (28:25.47) and sophomore Chris Heisey 17th (28:33.36).
E-town is now focused on the regional meet. The top two teams in the region qualify automatically for nationals and the next three have a chance for an at-large bid.
The Blue Jays' men have qualified for nationals four times, most recently in 2004, when they finished 15th in the nation.
E-town's women have been to nationals three times, including last year, when they finished 23rd in Division III.
In the latest regional rankings, E-town's women are ranked sixth, behind Johns Hopkins, Dickinson, Haverford, Messiah and Swarthmore. E-town's men are seventh, behind Carnegie Mellon, Dickinson, Haverford, Allegheny, Johns Hopkins and Messiah.
"The teams are very supportive of each other," Straub said. "When the women won on Saturday, the men couldn't have been happier. They feed off each other."
Now there's nothing more they'd like to do than cheer each on at the NCAA Division III Championships Nov. 22 in Hanover, Ind.
Jim Hersh is sports editor of the Sunday News. E-mail him at jhersh@lnpnews.com.
