Ephs win 3rd straight NESCAC title
Edgar Kosgey '10 (l) and Brendan Christian '09
NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine -- After a strong performance at the Little Three Championships last week, the Ephs had their sights set on another victory at the 2008 NESCAC Men's Cross Country Championships. And once again, the Eph men's squad delivered. Held at Pineland Farms, Bates College's home course, the men rolled to their third consecutive NESCAC title. The team was lead by Edgar Kosgey '10 and Jeff Perlis '10, who finished second and fifth respectively. But what continues to define the Eph men's squad is their superior depth; once again, the team was strong from top to bottom. The top five Eph finishers were in the top 17. The team also got a big boost from its younger members. Anthony Raduazo, David Carlin, and Mark Springel, all freshman, had strong performances.
The Ephs topped the field with a score of 44 points, while Trinity scored 85, and Amherst finished third with 93.
With the win the Ephs claimed their conference-leading 11th NESCAC championship. In addition to winning the conference championship, several Eph runners were recognized for their individual performances. Edgar Kosgey and Jeff Perlis earned First Team All-NESCAC honors, while Brendan Christian and Anthony Raduazo were named to the Second Team.
From the starting gun, it seemed evident that the Eph men's team would not be denied victory. For example, Macklin Chaffee '09, ran a very strong race despite losing a shoe in the first 400 meters of the race (he stopped to put it back on). Brian Cole '11 moved from the back of the pack all the way up to 29th. Coach Pete Farwell was very pleased with the effort following the race.
With another championship in tow, the Ephs are looking ahead to next weeks ECAC Championships, which will feature the 8th-14th runners on the men's team. After that, the team will look to qualify for the National Championships with a strong performance in the Division III Regional Championships.
Earlier in the week, four sub-Varisty runners ended their season on a positive note by running well in the Wesleyan Invitational on Thursday. The top three runners for the Ephs finished 2nd, 4th, and 6th.
