Six months of training, dating back to the beginning of summer.
Ten scheduled meets. Several Championship meets. For the women's
team, a Little Three Championship, an ECAC Championship, and a
NESCAC Championship. For the men's team, a Little Three
Championship, a NESCAC Championship, an ECAC Championship, and a
Regional Championship. And it all comes down to one final meet.
That isn't to say that the previous meets have been unimportant,
that prior individual performances are irrelevant, that it's solely
about the destination and not the journey. On the contrary, both
the men's and women's seasons could already be considered
successful ones. But the biggest prize of all remains. To perform
well at the NCAA Division III Championships would be the cherry on
top of the season sundae.
The NCAA Division III Championships are to be held at Hanover
College in Hanover, Indiana. On Saturday, November 22nd, 280 men
and 280 women will race to see which team deserves to be called the
best Division III team in the country. The men's 8K race is set to
start at 11 A.M. while the women's 6K race starts at 12 noon.
Expectations are high for both squads. The men's team is ranked
6th in the nation according to a recent coaches poll; however,
members of the team believe they can perform well above
expectations. For complete men's rankings, click here.
The women's team is ranked 3rd in the nation. For complete women's
rankings, click here.
In addition, several runners on each squad have a the chance to
earn the presitigious title of "All-American." However, to name
individuals would go against the team culture that coaches and
athletes have worked so hard to engender this season. So look for
all seven Eph men: Edgar Kosgey '10, Jeff Perlis '10, Brendan
Christian '09, Macklin Chaffee '09, Anthony Raduazo '12, Corey
Watts '10 and Brian Cole '11. On the women's team, look for Lauren
Philbrook '09, Rachel Asher '09, Brett Scofield '10, Meghan Shea
'11, Gillian Tedeschi '09, Robin Kuntz '09, Elly Teitsworth '10,
and Jess Clarke '10.
Once again, success will be a full team effort. More than 20 men
and women on the team have arranged transportation to the NCAA
championship meet, either by plane or car. Jeff Perlis '10, speaks
on behalf of both teams when he says, "It really means a lot to me
to be one of the seven guys running for the team at Nationals. This
team has so much tradition at this meet and it is so incredible
that I have an opportunity to be part of it."
The men's and women's teams have been smart throughout the season,
training hard but excercising patience. When the teams step to the
line, the Ephs will know that they are prepared. When the gun goes
off, they know it's time to give it everything that they've got.
