Ephs 5th out of 43 at Div. I New Englands
In unseasonably hot weather that is quickly beginning to characterize the cross-country racing season, the Williams mens varsity squad placed fifth in the Division I New England Cross Country Championships at Franklin Park in Boston. The fifth place finish is one of the highest finishes ever by a Williams squad at this meet, and is especially exceptional considering the heightened level of competition provided by Division I schools. Williams finished with a score of 166 points. Team race winner Brown University scored 95 points, as teams from UMass-Lowell (123 points), UMass-Amherst (124 points), and Boston College (132 points) filled-in the four spots preceding Williams.
Sophomore Edgar Kosgey ‘10 continued his hot streak, crossing the line in 15th place as the first runner for Williams in a time of 25:35 across the 8000-meter course. Assistant Coach Kathleen Newton praised Kosgey’s race, adding that the best may yet be to come.
“Edgar is still coming into his own. I don’t think he realizes how well he can run yet,” Newton said.
Kosgey was the front man in a tight pack of Eph runners. Grant Burgess ‘08 was second through the chute for Williams in 35th place with a time of 25:59, and within the next four seconds, Williams’ third-through-fifth runners crossed the line. Junior Brendan Christian ’09 finished 37th in a time of 26:00, while the two Coreys – Corey Levin ’08 and Corey Watts ’10 – finished in identical times of 26:03. Levin placed 41st and Watts was 42nd.
Newton cited the pack running of the five scorers as the reason for the team’s high finish in the race.
“I think we had an amazing pack with the two Coreys, and Brendan and Grant. They formed a really tight pack,” Newton said.
The dry and dusty conditions, combined with the heat, made for a slow race day as the top finisher, Patrick Mellea of Boston College (1st, 24:45), clocked in nearly 30 seconds slower than the 2006 winning time of 24:17. Many runners finished the race sweat-streaked and caked with dirt – some even had dirt coating their teeth – a result of the clouds of dust kicked up throughout Franklin Park’s course.
Wide dirt paths, open fields and one moderate hill that runners cross over twice, characterize the course, widely considered one of the fastest that Williams will race this season. The hill on the course is known as Bear Cage Hill, named for the abandoned bear facility at its peak, a remnant of the Franklin Park Zoo. However, the cage is long abandoned, and the only known bear present at the meet was T-Bear, dutifully guarded by Williams runners before, during and after the races.
Williams races next Saturday, October 13, on their home course at Mount Greylock High School as they host the Plansky Invitational. The mens 6000-meter race serves as a final tune-up before the championship season, which begins with the Little Three Championships at Wesleyan University on October 20.
