Sanca, UML Race Saturday at NCAA D2's

One of my favorite images of Ruben Sanca is how, four years ago, he ran away with the Boys D2 race at the 2004 EMass Championships. It had snowed several inches overnight and Franklin Park was a winter wonderland. In spite of the cold and snow (which continued to fall), Ruben wore only the white uniform of O'Bryant H.S., disdaining multiple layers underneath his singlet. Sanca took the lead after a half mile, and it grew steadily. He won the race by 15 seconds, but it seemed like a lot more.

Tomorrow, Saturday Nov 22, Sanca will compete for UMass Lowell at the NCAA Division II Championships at Slippery Rock University in Western Pennsylvania. UML and Stonehill College went 1-2 at the Northeast Regional two weeks ago, and Sanca won the regional race by 30 seconds. Both teams will compete again at Nationals.

Sanca has been having a great season, also winning the Northeast 10 Conference Championship earlier in the season and finishing 2nd (by one second) at the New England Collegiate Championships. Of Sanca's finish at the regional meet, UML coach Gary Gardner commented,

"Ruben dominated the field... He is on a different level than he has ever been. He is a completely different athlete. He ran great."

The UML and Stonehill teams include many familiar names to Mass HS XC fans, including:

UML:

Angus MacDonald (Central Catholic)
Jack Kilcommons (Archbishop Williams)
Rex Radloff (Dedham)
Carlos Montrond (Brockton)

Stonehill:

Matt Meagher (Mansfield)
Kevin Gill (Brockton)
Josh Andrews (Chelmsford)

The forecast for tomorrow in Western Pennsylvania is temperatures in the high 20's. Will it help Sanca and the other tough New Englanders?