With the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships less than a week away, the Cornell cross country teams are using every available opportunity to gear themselves up and prepare for the big day. Friday’s John Reif Memorial Run was no exception, as the Cornell runners got in the spirit and competed one last time on their very own Moakley course.

The Reif Run is considered a special annual event for the Red, as many local runners—and even Cornell alumni—reappear to compete in an exciting and welcoming atmosphere.

“It’s really fun with all of the spectators,” said sophomore Christine Smith. “It gets pretty loud.”

The day’s schedule included three separate races: a men’s 5K, a women’s 5K, and a men’s five mile. Overall, a total of six teams and over 150 runners competed, making it the invitational’s largest turnout in its history.

In the men’s 5K, freshman Nick Wade took first place with a time of 16:48, handily defeating 43 other competitors, many from Cortland and Ithaca College.

Zach Hine ’09, a Cornell alumnus, won the men’s five-mile race with a final time of 25:49. He was followed by Sam Luff ’09, who placed fourth in 26:43. Freshman Adam Trofa, the first current Cornellian to cross the line, finished fifth with an impressive time of 26:45. Sophomore Chandler Kemp also raced well, coming in immediately after Trofa at 26:46.Not just a walk in the park: Sophomore Christine Smith competes in the John Reif Memorial Run on Friday.

Smith led the charge for the Red in the women’s race, finishing in fourth place at 19:42. She was followed by junior Lauren Bariexca, who placed 8th with a time of 19:58. Senior Caroline Heidt and sophomore Janel Parker were also in the top ten, placing ninth and tenth with times of 20:02 and 20:10, respectively.

In the end, however, the Reif Run was more than the average cross country race. For most of the Red’s seniors, it was the last competition of their college careers, leading to a sense of nostalgia shared by all of the team members.

“It’s nice that their last race was on the home course,” Smith said. “It was great to be a part of it with them.”

Not only was it the last race for many runners, but the stakes were higher than usual as fellow Cornellians competed against one another for a chance to join the top runners at the Heps.

“League championships are this Friday,” said senior Joel Frost-Tift. “The top 11 guys are already decided, so the rest of the guys had to race. The top finisher will get to go to Heps this weekend.”

Therefore, based on the Reif Run results, Trofa will be joining the men’s squad, and Smith will be joining the women.

Both teams share a feeling of great excitement heading into the big race, and yet, they are determined to remain focused.

“We know it’s going to be pretty close,” Frost-Tift said. “There are a few teams that can win it, but we think we have a good chance, so we’re pretty excited.”

Smith also shared similar sentiments regarding the women’s team.

“We have a really strong team,” she said. “We just have to work together and keep doing what we’ve been doing.”