Once thought to be a “rebuilding year” after losing All-American Lindsey Nadolski ’09, the 2009 season was just the opposite. The Bombers were ranked in the top 30 in national polls for 10 consecutive weeks. They finished by making the trip to Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio, where they competed at the national championships for the 19th time in program history.

Throughout the year, the Bombers were led by freshman Jenn Randall. The eight-time Empire 8 Runner of the Week was the first Bomber to cross the finish line in every race this season before nationals.

Randall was running an excellent race at the NCAA Championships, running at 26th place at the halfway mark. But after Randall crested the final hill on the course, with about 200 meters left, she said, she began to feel awful. At that point, she collapsed and blacked out.

Randall found out a day later that she had a viral infection, which caused her to pass out.

“Somehow I managed to get up and finish the race,” she said. “But I don’t really remember standing back up or moving after [falling] or even seeing the finish line.”

Someone needed to take over for Randall at the front for the Bombers, and that person was sophomore Heidi Baumbach. Baumbach, who also ran at nationals last year, began moving up and gave Ithaca its first runner in the books, placing 136th out 279, with a time of 23:52 for the six-kilometer course. Baumbach improved upon her 149th finish from a year ago.

“Having so much competition around the entire time helped to push me,” Baumbach said. “There’s a lot of excitement in being in a big race of 280 runners, and even all of the spectators cheering just kept me going. It was a good way for me to end the season on a high note.”

Seventeen spots and just 12 seconds behind Baumbach was senior captain Amanda Boccio. Boccio has consistently been the Blue and Gold’s second runner all year and continued the trend at the championships, finishing 24:04. Boccio’s time this year is more than two minutes faster and 100 spots better than what she ran at nationals her freshman year, 26:29 for 240th.

Senior Melanie McCormick was the third Bomber in, finishing 166th with a time of 24:11. McCormick, along with Boccio, capped off a great cross country career at the college, running at the national championships every year.

“Our past experiences at nationals helped calm the nerves because I was confident that we could compete with the other teams,” McCormick said.

Senior Bridget Hastings finished in 24:27, good for 191st in her debut at the championships. The final scorer for the Bombers was junior Catherine Ortiz, who just missed getting under the 25-minute mark, crossing the line in 25:01 to finish 229th.

Randall and fellow freshman Megan Shanley were the final Bombers in the field. Both finished only six seconds apart, as Randall crossed first in 25:20 and Shanley second in 25:26.

Even with their top runner collapsing, the Bombers scored 641 points, finishing 31st, just two spots behind last year’s result.

“Being a part of a team that has gone to the national championship meet is very special,” Boccio said. “When I was in high school, and even during my first season as a freshman, I never would have imagined competing at the national level.”