Race Preview: Buzzard's Bay
The NECTC shifts its attention back to the sprint distance this weekend at Buzzard’s Bay. 140 athletes from 18 universities will be racing for the 100 points up for grabs. Fun fact for the bay: The name was given to the bay by colonists who saw a large bird that they called a buzzard near its shores.
The Course
The swim is a 1/3 mile ocean swim in the bay itself. Athletes have a run in start from the beach where they will swim a small way out (200 yards) and then take a left and swim along the shore. They will take another left at the end and finish the short swim.
The bike course is 14 miles through Westport and Dartmouth. The course has a rolling terrain, specifically around mile 9, but has a quick finish to it.
The run course is a 5k which is as flat of a run as you will find. It is a 1 loop course that is half on the road, and half along the ocean. Look for some fast splits here.
Male Race Favorites:
This could be a West Point podium sweep. Or maybe there could be an opening for 3rd overall on the podium, but the top 2 spots seem pretty concrete.
Dylan Morgan (West Point): Finished 2nd overall at Cranberry, and first overall at the more competitive Lake George. Without major competition here, look for a back to back win by Morgan.
Jacob Slife (West Point): If anyone has a chance it is Morgan’s teammate Slife. Slife has the edge in the swim, but Morgan has the edge in the run. The question is whether Slife will be able to pull away enough on the swim to hold off Morgan’s run.
Honorable Mentions: Peter Hetzel (West Point), Connor Wernecke (West Point), Alex Springer (MIT)
Female Race Favorites:
Dare I say it again? West Point is stacking this race up. Could be male and female podium sweeps.
Cat Sedy (West Point): Finished 2nd overall at Lake George, and looking to take her first overall win in the NECTC.
Mackenzie Williams (West Point): 8th in Lake George, and beat out her teammate Paige Dougherty by one spot. Should be another tight race between the two at the sprint distance.
Male Team Favorite:
West Point clearly, but how about those other podium spots? US Coast Guard looks to have a strong showing and should be taking 2nd overall, with 3rd wide open. Harvard, Northeastern, and UMass probably have a good shot at wrapping up the podium.
Female Team Favorites:
West Point should be taking this one as well, but the podium is open. US Coast Guard, Northeastern, and BU have a fair shot. However US Coast Guard and BU are not at full capacity as they are not racing some of their top talent. It will be interesting to see how Dartmouth fairs as we have not seen much of them this year.
Overall Team Favorites:
Let’s do the math together. West Point Male win predication + West Point Female win predication = West Point Overall team win prediction. I’d look for USCGA to be on the podium as well, but the rest is hard to predict.
