Kosgey & Perlis All-Americans; Christian, Chaffee, Raduazo & Watts All-Region

The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) bestows All-Region honors on the top 35 finishers at the NCAA Regional Championship race and All-American honors on the top 35 finishers at the NCAA Championship Race.

ALL-AMERICAN:

Edgar Kosgey '10, 10th Place 2008 NCAA National Championships, All-American & All-Region:

Eph junior distance standout Edgar Kosgey is a veteran based on his outstanding performances (Regional Champ and 10th place nationals & All-American in 2008), but he is still ‘young’ in the sport of cross country, with just over two years of running under his belt. The talented Kosgey was pegged as one of the Ephs’ top returnees after the fall of 2007 in which he won the NCAA New England Regional Championship and then placed 36th at nationals to just miss All-American honors. Eph assistant coach Mitchell Baker remarked, "After a summer spent in his native Kenya teaching high school math and training diligently for the first lengthy stretch of his career, Edgar came into the season with substantially improved form."

Kosgey opened the season with a win in Van Cortlandt Park at the Fordham Invitational in a field of primarily Division I runners. However, after soundly winning the Purple Valley Invite in late September, he was injured, missed several workouts and a big meet, but bounced back to achieve great performances at the conference (runner-up) and regional meet (champion).

Edgar Kosgey

"After not running due to an injury the week leading up to NCAAs, Edgar stayed relaxed a bit behind the fast early pace of the race, setting himself up to move up through the field in the middle stages," commented Baker. "Unlike 2007 where he put himself on the edge of All-American only to fall just short, this year his strength reserves and focus gave him a kick, and he held on for a 10th place finish at the NCAA Championship race and a huge boost to the team score."

Head Coach Pete Farwell pointed out that “Edgar has improved immensely not only from his conditioning but in his tactical abilities, including pacing, surging, and unleashing a smooth fast kick.” Kosgey’s jubilation at the team's NCAA success was on full display as he celebrated in the moments after the results were posted: the team landed in third place overall, its first trophy (top-4) since 1998 after posting multiple top-10 finishes in the interim, thus fulfilling the team’s final goal for the season.

Jeff Perlis '10, 26th Place 2008 NCAA National Championships & All-Region:

Jeff Perlis

Cross country is a sport that is unforgiving to those who are injured as each week of training builds up the foundation for the season. Junior Jeff Perlis's 2008 season is a clear example of how important it is to be healthy all year long to have a successful cross country season.

"After a summer and fall a year ago with little running as he recovered from injury, Jeff entered the fall of 2008 healthy and fully back in shape for the first time since the spring of 2007. “He had a renewed appreciation of running on the trails and cross country courses with his teammates, and he brought a high spirit that helped the team focus on goals," Baker said. "And certainly his competitive fire burned as bright as ever."

Perlis entered the 2008 season with a strong base and scored each meet in the top 5 for the team. He edged Edgar Kosgey by one step to win the Little Three race and more importantly helped continue the team’s string of successes against Amherst and Wesleyan in the team battle with the Ephs 21st consecutive victory. This was followed a week later as Jeff finished 5th (2nd Eph) as Williams won NESCAC for the third successive year.

Then after a 5th place individual finish overall by Perlis (3rd finisher for the team behind Kosgey and senior co-captain Brendan Christian) at the NCAA New England Regional Championship, the Ephs looked primed for a good result at NCAAs. "Jeff saw his role as the solid second or third finisher on the team, so after some strategizing with head coach Pete Farwell, he put himself in the top 50 runners early on at the NCAA meet and methodically moved up until he dashed home in 26th overall, scoring second for the team and leading a quick succession of Williams remaining scorers (1-5 split was 40 seconds)," remarked Baker.

"In a day and age when participation is often put ahead of competition, Jeff is a throwback to when any race was seen as an opportunity to prove to self and team the extent of one's talent, preparation, and desire," noted Baker. Head Coach Pete Farwell added: "He brings great focus each day and harnesses enthusiasm and personal ambition to the wagon of team achievement."


MORE EPH ALL-REGION HONOREES:

Brendan Christian ’09, 4th Place 2008 NCAA Regional Championships:

Brendan Christian

Senior and co-captain Brendan Christian (4th) came full circle this fall after a promising first and second year of running at Williams. After studying abroad in Uganda during the spring semester of last year, he came in recharged physically with more variety in his training and motivated to lead. Like the entire men’s top-seven, he had to overcome a serious setback this season: before he found himself All Region—top-4 no less—and racing to a top-45 finish at NCAA’s (his career best), he sprained his ankle badly in mid-season. Relying on great treatment from the athletic trainers to get him back on the course and adding a dose of stubbornness and team loyalty, he pushed back quickly with great success, and was rewarded as being captain of the regional champ and national 3rd-place team.

Macklin Chaffee ’09, 12th Place 2008 NCAA Regional Championships:

Macklin Chaffee

Senior Macklin Chaffee (12th) learned as a sophomore how to step up during the track & field season. He remained focused on the track his junior year, rewriting the school record books on relays and in his specialty, the 1500-meters. Knowing he would need greater strength to continue improving on the track, he set his sights on making the varsity cross country team for the first time in his career this past fall, his last.

With a full head of steam from summer training, he looked poised to make a huge impact. However, he suffered an early season injury and spent 4-5 days of aqua running and swimming per week the remainder of the season, only drying off for 1-2 workouts with the team each week. The alternate training worked as he consistently scored for the team, finishing an outstanding 12th at the Regional. At NCAA’s he truly shined, running what he called the best third and fourth miles of his career to put himself on the edge of All American, agonizingly short in 37th place, but 8th from New England overall and an important low-point place for the team score.

Anthony Raduazo ‘12, 14th Place 2008 NCAA Regional Championships:

First Year Anthony Raduazo (14th) had an amazing rookie season, racing onto the team’s top five from the first gun at Van Cortland Park where he placed second of the squad. His high volume summer training paid off all year with high places at the All-New Englands, Little Three, NESCAC (11th), (earning the conference Rookie of the Year honor) and New England All Region in stellar racing. His ability to train with Williams’ veteran stars belied his age, and his racing savvy showed a maturity beyond his years. In the final NCAA meet he gave it his all but faded in the last miles, and later learned he was running with an  illness, which made his final 2 races even more remarkable. Raduazo will be a key man for Williams X-Country, and Track, for the next 3 ½ years.

Anthony Raduazo

Corey Watts ’10, 26th Place 2008 NCAA Regional Championships

Corey Watts

Corey Watts (26th), is in phenomenal shape, had a great culmination to track last year in the grueling 10,000 meter event. He then spent the summer biking and doing some service work in Africa, with little opportunity to do running training.

He made up time quickly to move into the team’s top seven at the Little Three, scoring as the fifth man in NESCAC (17th place) and then 6th man in the regional, gaining all-region recognition.

He then capped the season with a clutch race at NCAA’s, passing over 100 competitors in the last three miles to finish as the 5th and final scorer for the Ephs and lock in a third place podium finish for the team. He will be a captain and fixture of next year’s team.