On Saturday, November 10, fifty-seven women’s Division III cross country teams in New England competed in for only a few spots in the NCAA Nationals. The WPI women placed tenth, matching the best the program has ever done. Although WPI didn’t secure one of the coveted slots to nationals this year, head coach Brian Chabot believes the team can soon make WPI history by advancing to the national meet for the first time.
At the conference meet, which precedes regionals, WPI has a strong record. This year the women placed second in conference and were beaten only by MIT, who also won regionals. But despite performing well in conference, the competition in New England is stiff. The top two teams in each of the eight regions are guaranteed a spot to nationals. However, an additional 16 entries are awarded by a committee to schools outside of the top two. This year four of those entries went to New England, demonstrating the depth of cross country in the region.
Chabot thinks the team is ready to get to the next level. Referring to their 10th place finish, he says, “it’s hard to say that’s a bad thing when you tie the best the school’s ever done in the history of the school, but being competitors we’re really looking to find a way to move beyond that now”. Finishing in the top six next year is a tentative goal for Chabot. “Top six we know will at least put us in the conversation of going to a national championship, it won’t guarantee it but it’ll put us in the conversation.” At the very least, Chabot says, they’re aiming for 8th.
Fortunately, many of WPI’s top runners will continue running for the next two years. Some of their competitors have senior-heavy teams this year, which may give WPI an edge. Although WPI is also losing a couple of runners, some of their top runners will also be returning from studying abroad or injuries next year. This year they missed 9th place by only one point, and the team should be at least as strong next year. This sets them up to finally make a breakthrough soon.
If anyone can get them to nationals, it’s Chabot. He’s worked with the track team for 15 years, and has been head of the cross country team for two. Both years he received NEWMAC Coach of the Year for women’s cross country, and he’s gotten five more awards between the men and women for track. These awards don’t faze Chabot, though. “I’ll be honest, I don’t think about that stuff too much when it happens, if anything I get a little embarrassed by it.”
A former collegiate runner himself, Chabot graduated with degrees in history and psychology. He says he uses his psychology degree “far more than [he] anticipated using it”. Indeed, Chabot’s approach to training is largely mental.
WPI students, he says, have no trouble putting in the work. Because he can count on his athletes to do the training, he focuses on the mental side. For Chabot, this means helping his athletes be confident and self-reliant. “I really believe in giving people the tools so then they themselves can be successful.” He works to give the athletes what they need to reach their goals, but he’s clear that ultimately, it’s up to them. “The ones that are just like passengers, their talent can get them fairly far but it’s never gonna get them all the way.”
Although WPI students have the work ethic, Chabot does mention that coaching a tech school has its challenges. Many students, he says, are “not always comfortable being a risk taker”.
Because of this, Chabot says he spends a lot of his time working on instilling confidence. “It’s a partnership,” he says. “There’s no magic training plan.”
Photo credit: Twitter, @CoachChabs
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