Keeton Claims Victory in Fall Nationals
22 October 2011 Keeton Claims Victory in Fall Nationals
Sporting a purple and orange body suit, Marshall Keeton 14 from the Chi Phi Pledges team was declared the 2011 Fall Nationals winner after pulling ahead in the last stretch of the final heat against Hobart Dean Eugen Baer HON07, P95, P97. Earning bragging rights for the next year, Keeton notes, I had no idea if Id win but as the race went on, I just started expecting that it would happen.
Traditionally held on William Smith Hill, the 2011 Fall Nationals invited Family and Homecoming Weekend attendees to partake in the pre-game Barnburner Tailgate Lunch while experiencing the thrills of victory and the agonies of defeat as Fall Nationals 2011 raced down William Smith Hill toward the barn.
Eight teams of Hobart men competed in the race down the hill: Soeren Wacker 14 of Hattstedt, Germany, representing Rotaract Club; Keaton 14; Drew Coogan 12, driving for the Chi Phi brothers; Andrew Zenger 14, representing the Geneva Hall dormitory; Christopher Pope 14from Delta Chi; Darren Smith 12, representing the Druids; Alexander Beyer 13 of Tubingen, Germany, representing Odells unit 48; and Amil Shah 12 representing Bampton House. Hobart Dean Eugen Baer, with the support of the Hobart Deans Office, also competed in this years Fall Nationals.
Among this years competitors was one William Smith student, Kaylyn OBrien 12, who was driving her cart for Hope House, a theme house devoted to raising awareness and volunteering for the cause of curing cancer. OBrien, who is the first William Smith student to race in Fall Nationals since the 1980s, was excited and ready to race with the help of teammate Jess McCue 12. We did a test run last night; two out of three were successful, says OBrien.
Were here to have fun, but, really, Im here to win, adds McCue. We practiced, prepared and carbo-loaded. Were ready.
Composed of four rounds, racers went head-to-head until only two were left standing. In the preliminary round, OBrien got an early lead and claimed victory while Zenger was left to wheel himself across the finish line. Coogan, driving Chi Phis 2010 cart, blew past Beyer, winning himself a spot in the second round. In the third heat, Baer finished unchallenged as Pope lost control in the home stretch, crashing into the hay bales before finishing the race on his feet. In the final heat, the Chi Phi pledges hurtled down the hill, leaving Shah to wheel himself over the finish line after losing momentum in the final stretch.
In the second round, Baer got an early lead, gaining momentum as he rounded the second curve and beating Wacker by more than five car lengths, prompting Grounds Manager Dave Iannicello to note, Eugen is so good that he can turn around and watch everybody. In the second heat, OBriens cart proved unwieldy in the home stretch, leaving the Chi Phi brothers to claim victory.
In the third round, Baer was challenged by Smith, but the Druids car proved slow as Baer sped past it to claim his place in the final round. Pitting pledge against brother, Chi Phi saw an epic battle as Keeton challenged Coogan for a spot in the final round. While Coogans car made from a handtruck was fast, Keetons more aerodynamically-sound car helped him claim victory.
In the final round, anticipation hung heavy in the air as the venerable Dean Baer prepared to square off against Keeton in a final battle for bragging rights. Getting a slow start, Baer took an early lead as the two racers came off the first turn. Rounding the second turn, Baer maintained his lead but Keeton was close on his tail. As the two racers came into the home stretch, Keetons cart slowly gained momentum, pulling ahead of Baer in the final seconds of the race. The last second win caused the crowd to erupt in cheers as yet another Fall Nationals came to a close.
A long-standing tradition at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, the Fall Nationals began in the late 1970s. In addition to the derby-which requires entered vehicles only to have wheels with some sort of braking and steering mechanisms-the event has been known to include tug-of-war and pie eating contests.