Thank you, Lucky for that article!!!! It brings back so memories for me - including the race mentioned, the 1976 Manhattan Invitational because I ran that year. I still have the write up in "New Jersey Track".
It was my junior year, my second year of xc. I'm almost certain it was my birthday, Oct. 9th. It was raining so hard we were in the bus (I was the only girl) and I nearly missed the start in all the confusion- my coach came frantically running up to the bus and dragged to me to the start, me pulling off my sweats as we ran. He pulled me as close as he could to the more favored edge of the start line just before the gun went off. The cow path was so flooded it was like a stream.
When we got to the top of freshman hill and headed for the bridge, an official stopped us and pointed us to the finish - our 2.5 miles race (which was longer than our "normal" 2 mile race - had been shortened to 1.5 and I had to adjust from a conservative pace to desperately trying to run fast. I crossed the line in 6th, the first Jerseyan to finish. They didn't even get times.
I have a very soft spot in my heart for VCP, those roller coaster hills were crazy and the death defying turns are still very vivid. I was disappointed when I ran the USA champs there a few years ago because the paths are all smooth and gravel and there are steps instead of just a path - and those wicked turns are now gentle arcs (and we didn't get to race the backhills in our race), but it still was beautiful and wild - just an amazing place in the city.
No wonder I'm still racing xc seriously 37 years later!
I hope to see some of you in KY.