Men Claim ECAC Crown for 4th Consecutive Year

Complete Results

Bristol, RI--The theme for the men's cross-country team this year seems to be extending winning streaks. The ECAC (Eastern College Athletic Conference) Championships was no exception. The men's team won their 4th consecutive ECAC crown on the Colt State Park course in dominating fashion. The Ephs placed five runners in the top 16 and easily topped second place finisher Keene State (100 points) with a score of only 64 points. Middlebury finished third with 144 points and Oneonta followed close behind, finishing fourth with 146 points.

Last week the Ephs won the NESCAC Championships for the third straight year. The week before they claimed their 21st consecutive Little Three Championships victory. The fourth consecutive victory at the ECAC Championships means that seniors on the current team have never lost at ECAC's. The race was an opportunity for Williams' runners outside of the top seven to make a tangible contribution to the team as the Ephs ran their 8th-14th runners. The competition, an enormous field of 52 teams, featured the top seven of some teams and the 8th-14th runners of others. The Ephs "second seven" responded to the challenge wonderfully as a group consisting of freshman and seniors alike demonstrated Williams' superior team depth with a solid victory.

Mark Springel '12 led the way for Williams, finishing fifth overall in a time of 26:38. Five Ephs runners worked together and finished within 16 seconds of each other. Ryan Ford '09, Brooks Udelsman '09, Steve Van Wert '09, David Carlin '12, and Mike Geary '11, finished 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, and 18th in the field respectively, with times ranging from 26:59 to 27:15. Tim Durham '09 rounded out the Ephs team in a time of 28:52. Also along for the trip, prepared to race should anything go awry, was freshman Josephat Koima.

After the race, assistant coach Erica Claussen reflected on the success of the team. "We ran a really strong race on a difficult course," said Erica. "We utilized pack running and moved up throughout the entire race. We raced very smart."

The Eph women also raced to victory. Still, two important meets remain: the Regional Championships, to be held at the Ephs' Mt. Greylock Regional High School home course and the National Championships, contingent upon qualification, Hanover College in Indiana. Regionals are set for November 15th while Nationals fall on November 22nd.

For further insight on the race, please check out http://www.ecacsports.com/sports/fall/mxc/Championships/DivisionIII/2008-09/2008_xc_results.