Ephs Turn in Strong Performance at New England Championships
Boston, MA--After a great performance at the Purple Valley Invitational two weeks ago, the Eph men's squad was ready for a challenge. And challenged they were at the New England Cross-Country Championships, which featured primarily Divsion I schools as well as seven NESCAC rivals.
The men's squad responded to the challenge, placing 8th out of 47th schools despite being without top harrier Edgar Kosgey. The team competed in an 8K race at Franklin Park, located just outside of Boston, under clear, blue skies.
After a week off from racing, Coach Pete Farwell hoped that the team would consolidate gains from training. The team had additional motivation to give a strong performance; Franklin Park is perhaps the fastest course on the Eph's schedule. The team responded, with many harriers running personal best times.
The men's Varsity squad was paced by Brendan Christian '09, who turned in a personal best time of 25:20. Just behind him was Jeff Perlis '10, who crossed the line in 25:25. Also contributing was Anthony Raduazo '12, who ran 25:38 and should be a fixture on the men's team for years to come. Macklin Chafee '09 (25:36) and Steve Van Wert '09 (26:17) rounded out the five scoring runners. The team also flashed their depth in the sub-Varsity race on the shoulders of strong performances by captain Brooks Udelsman '09 and Matt Wyatt '12.
The race was another solid block for the team to build on as crucial races loom in the future. After returning to Mt. Greylock Regional High School next week for the Tony Planksy Invitational, the Ephs will set their sights on the Little Three meet, where they look to defend their title against Amherst and Wesleyan for the 20th straight year.
