Cardin's Four-peat Sets MASCAC History

WESTFIELD, Mass. - When Jessie Cardin crossed the finish line first, she had no idea she had set a piece of Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference history.

Cardin's win in the 2017 MASCAC Women's Cross Country Championship on Saturday gave her a four-peat, winning the league's championship meet and Runner of the Year honors for the fourth straight year, a first for any man or woman in the 46-year history of the conference meets.

"I literally had no idea," said Cardin. "Coach Lenfest [Westfield State Athletic Director Dick Lenfest] came over and gave me a fist bump after I crossed the line and said 'making history' and told me it was the first time it had ever been done. That's pretty cool."

"I wanted to win it for a fourth straight year for personal reasons, but I didn't know it hadn't been done."

"The first word that comes to mind is amazing," said Westfield State head coach Bill Devine.

"My strategy was simply to focus on having a strong race," said Cardin. "I feel very at one with the course at Stanley Park having run it so many times, but I wanted to stay focused and didn't want to assume that I would win the race. I went out about 15 seconds faster than normal for the first mile. By the time I got to the meadow and the second mile I was running by myself, and I am used to that because we will run workouts in the meadow and often I am by myself, if I don't train with the men's team, and when I looked back approaching the finish I saw that no one was close, and I didn't want it to be a close race."

Cardin outdistanced her closest competitor by 37 seconds in the 5,000 meter (3.1 mile) race. She has won the league title on four different courses, with her narrowest margin of victory being 22 seconds in her sophomore season.

"Focus wise, I visualized the race like it was the regionals," said Cardin. "I went out a little faster almost as an experiment, so that I know that I can do it if I need to when I am even fresher for the regionals."

"She's so determined and hard-working,' said Devine. "She's very focused and will do anything and anything to get better. One of the freshmen on the men's team just told me that he was initially in awe and afraid of her because she's so good. But on top of it all, she is the most humble person I have met in a long time."

Cardin, an elementary education major, is juggling a busy class schedule and student teaching along with the rigor of training for cross country.

Cardin was named the league's runner of the week on Monday, the fifth time this season and the 21st time in her four-year career that she has earned that award.

"I was really sad, but not devastated, that we didn't win as a team," said Cardin. "Being a senior and a captain, that would have been the cherry on top. But we win as a team, and we lose as a team, and it gives us something to chase and to work for as we prepare for regionals."

The Westfield State women had a 13-year streak at the top of the conference. The Owls placed second behind Worcester State by a 35-41 score in what was expected to be a very close race.

Cardin finished fourth at the New England regional meet a year ago and has an eye on another top finish this season when the Owls compete on November 11 at the NCAA New England Regional meet in Gorham, Maine.

"I have battled some health issues since last fall,' said Cardin. "I was heartbroken after nationals."

Cardin placed 88^th last year's national championship meet in Louisville, Ky., fading late in the race after racing in the top 30 in the field at the early splits. She finished 20^th in the nation and earned All-America honors as a sophomore.

A top finish at the regional would earn her a ticket the 2017 NCAA Division III national championship race in Elsah, Illinois, on November 18. The top two teams automatically qualify, and top seven individuals (who are not on a qualifying team) earn spots in the National Championship race. New England is traditionally one of the strongest regions and usually places five to seven teams in the national field.

"Jessie's workouts say she's going to kick butt at the regionals," said Devine. "Physically and mentally, I think she's going to be ready, but every day is different. There is going to be great competition there, but that's what it is. The good ones get to go to nationals."

"Reflecting on last year it was a great regionals, and a heartbreaking nationals," said Cardin. "But at this point in the season there is nothing else that you can do to make yourself better, it's more to stay fine-tuned. Last year, I kept thinking 'one more long run, one more lift.' I feel like I am in better shape and smarter this year."

"I'm trying to not jump too far ahead," she said. "It's my senior year and I'm taking it day-by-day, and enjoying the time with practices and my teammates."