Something Special

At the Second College Grant, where the Diamond flows into the Magalloway and the Magalloway into the Androscoggin, Dartmouth has a unique opportunity to convert stumpage into scholarships and to develop scholars into sportsmen and natural scientists from here on out," wrote Robert S. Monahan '29 in "Stumps and Scholarships," a history of the College Grant. The retired College forester probably didn't anticipate that the township, granted by the State of New Hampshire to Dartmouth in 1807, would also be used to develop top-notch cross-country teams.

The Big Green runners can boast about having the only 26,800-acre wilderness training camp in the nation. "It's become a real tradition," says coach Ken Weinbel, who has been bringing his cross-country charges to the Dartmouth Grant for a decade now. "It's good wholesome living and camaraderie. It cleanses them mentally and physically. We run, have weight training, sample each other's cooking, do a little mountain climbing, and have a little rest and relaxation. It's a nice experience and the kids really look forward to it. It's something special for them."

The teams are housed in the Management Center, Sam's Cabin, and sometimes Merrill Brook Cabin at the Grant, which is located in northeastern New Hampshire along the Maine border. "We've developed our favorite runs," says Weinbel, such as "The Valley of Death," a 10-mile run "deep in the bowels of the earth" along a logging road that borders the Grant. Other favorite runs are the Androscoggin River Run through the 13-Mile Wood that parallels Route 16; the jaunt to Hellgate Camp in the adjacent Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant; the "Maine and Back" run along the Androscoggin; and the Swift Diamond Exploratory Run, which eventually winds back through the woods to Monahan's Bathtub on the Dead Diamond River.

Weinbel's September wilderness,camp is apparently paying off as Dartmouth has been one of the top three teams in New England for the last five years. "We've made the Nationals the last five years in a row," Weinbel says proudly.

Dartmouth posted a 6-1 cross-country record in 1977, losing only to a good Northeastern University team. It was the second season in a row that Northeastern had put the only blemish on the Big Green's record. "They're a good team and they'll be tough this year, too," concedes Weinbel. "But our kids - they've done well."

It'll be a little tougher for Dartmouth to match last year's mark because of the absence of Dean Stephens '78, who, although he is still enrolled at the College, has used up his cross-country eligibility. "He was the best and most successful cross-country runner in Dartmouth's history," says Weinbel. "He was an all-Ivy League and all-East selection and he'll be sorely missed. However, we did use a lot of young runners last year and we hope they will mature enough to take up the slack."

Dartmouth holds its home meets at the Hanover Country Club and the course is a little under 10,000 meters, or about six miles. "There's a lot of local interest in the team because"people can relate to the activity due to jogging," Weinbel says. "They are a lot more knowledgeable than when I came to Dartmouth 11 years ago."

Ken Weinbel discussing pre-race strategy.