Wabash tied with its rival, DePauw University, for second place at the 47th Wabash Hokum Karem Saturday morning. The Little Giants and Tigers each scored 30 points, trailing only Indiana Tech University with 9. Kevin McCarthy and Donavan White took fourth place overall in the relay-style cross country race created by former Wabash coach J. Owen Huntsman.
McCarthy and White combined for a time of 28:52, racing six times around a one-mile loop on the Wabash campus. (View photos of the 47th Hokum Karem here and here.)
The Hokum Karem was developed by Huntsman as a training race early in the cross country season. Huntsman's idea was to have a runner race for a mile before handing a baton to his teammate, who would then race the second mile. The duo would continue to exchange until each had ran a total of three miles.
(Head cross country coach Roger Busch '96 talks about his team's effort here. [Quicktime file])
Matt Ditzler and Camron Walter from Indiana Tech won with a time of 28:16, pacing the field of 106 runners who competed in the men's event Saturday. The total of 218 athletes made the 47th running of the race one of the largest fields in recent history. Hugh Jackson and Micah Milliman took 10th place for Wabash, crossing the finish line in 29:12. Grahm Johnson and Sam Compton-Craig were 18th in the team scoring with a time of 30:27.
Freshmen Kenny Farris and Bill Digman took 27th (30:34). Brian David and Colin Dunlap took 33rd (30:55), while Spencer Sheridan and Jacob Surface finished in 41st place (31:39).
Rose-Hulman followed Indiana Tech, Wabash, and DePauw in the men's team scoring with 38 total points. Marian (41), Franklin (43), Anderson (56), Indianapolis (60), and Vincennes (71) rounded out the final results.
Indiana Tech also won the women's race with a total of 10 points. Kara Van Horn and Alissa McKaig were the top individuals, finishing their four-mile combined race in 21:39. DePauw (14 points) was second in the team scoring, followed by Franklin (29), Saint Mary's (38), Indianapolis (42), Anderson (49), Rose-Hulman (57), and Marian.
Wabash will compete next Saturday at the Great Lakes Colleges Association Cross Country Championship meet at Oberlin College.
Complete results are available here.
Photos - (top left) Kevin McCarthy and Donavan White complete the exchange during Saturday's Wabash Hokum Karem.
(Bottom right) The Little Giant team thunders across the field inside the Huntsman Track at the start of the 47th Wabash Hokum Karem.