2009 Men's X-C Season Outlook

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA --  Returning five members of last year’s NCAA third place team including the region’s top runner, two All-Americans and four All-Region runners, head coach Pete Farwell’s 31^st Eph team may well be vying for another high podium position at nationals this fall.

Farwell guided his 2008 Eph harriers to a 21st consecutive Little Three title, fourth consecutive ECAC title, third straight NESCAC title, the NCAA New England Qualifier championship crown and 16th appearance in 17 years at the NCAA Championships.

Lost to graduation were Macklin Chaffee and Brendan Christian, both of whom ran at the NCAA Championships after earning All-Region honors. Chaffee was the Ephs’ third finisher at the NCAAs coming in 37th (25:01) and Christian was 44th in 25:07. Christian was also a Second Team All-NESCAC honoree.

Headlining the list of returnees are seniors Edgar Kosgey and Jeff Perlis who often ran in tandem in 2008 and each achieved First Team All-NESCAC, All-Region and All-American status. Kosgey, named the New England Regional Runner of the Year by USTFCCCA, captured 10th place (24:46) at the NCAAs, while Perlis finished in 26th place (24:53).

Kosgey opened up his junior year with an impressive win against a Division I-laden field at the Fordham Invitational in famed Van Cortlandt Park. He also won the NCAA New England Qualifier and finished second at the NESCAC Championships and the Little Three, fighting off and overcoming injuries throughout the year.  The Ephs are hoping for a healthy year for Kosgey, with even better performances possible.

Perlis improved immensely in his junior year after a rough 2007 campaign and he made the most of his preseason training, health and strength by placing in the Ephs top five all season. He won the Little Three race, was the second Eph to finish at NESCACs (5th) and finished third on the Ephs (5th) at the New England NCAA Qualifier.

“We haven’t had two such All-Americans returning to the lineup in many years,” notes coach Farwell. “They set high goals and work hard for them, and moreover have the talent and competitive instincts to produce championship races when it counts most.”

Corey Watts '10

Senior co-captain Corey Watts, the fifth Eph to cross the finish line at the 2008 NCAA Championships, will also be one of Williams’ lead pack. Watts ran his best race of the season in that NCAA meet, moving up over 100 places in a final 3-mile rush to the finish (76th of 278) to clinch the team’s high placing.  Watts came on strong at the end of last season after a summer of service work in Africa that did not offer much opportunity to train. He was the 5th Eph at the NESCAC Championships race (17th overall) and then collected All-Region honors at the NCAA New England Qualifier where he placed 26th.

With all five Eph scoring runners placing in the top 76 out of 278 (all within 41 seconds of each other) Farwell’s “pack attack” was honed to perfection and Williams came home with the third place trophy.

Anthony Raduazo '12

Anthony Raduazo constructed an impressive rookie campaign that saw him open a bunch of eyes in his collegiate debut at the Fordham Invitational when he was the second Eph to finish. He later went on to earn Second Team All-NESCAC, NESCAC Rookie of the Year and All-Region honors. He finished 6th at the Little Three, 11th at the NESCAC Championships, and 14th in the NCAA New England Qualifier, before fading at the nationals when sick.  He came back well in spring track, and looks more fit than ever entering his sophomore year.

Junior Brian Cole ran well last season to become the Ephs 7th man, just missing all-Region honors with his 36th place showing in the NCAA Qualifier. An Achilles strain held him back at the national meet, but a fast track season in 800 and 1500-meter events positions him for a fine fall season if he can remain healthy.

“Anthony and Brian are talented, and excellent big-meet racers. They each can place high for us this year,” exudes Farwell.

Farwell will have two additional runners in the lineup that raced on the Eph squad that captured a 4th consecutive ECAC Championship in 2008:

Brian Cole '11

Sophomore Mark Springel was the first Eph finisher at that meet, placing 5th overall with a fast 26:38. Springel also finished 13th at the Little Three and 49th at NESCACs, and his classmate David Carlin was 17th at the ECACs in 27:05. He also notched an 18th place finish at the Little Three and claimed 36th at the NESCACs.

Senior co-captain Connor Kamm is working hard to return to form; he placed 2nd at the 2006 Little Three meet and ran solidly in the top seven all that year.

Farwell will be looking for some members of last year’s Eph team that did not race at the 2008 NCAA Championships, or claim conference or regional honors to have a break out season as has been demonstrated over the years by their training ethic. Farwell seems to have a knack for bringing runners along and refining them into competitive runners, adding to the depth of the Eph team. 

There is a stable of talent to draw from, including seniors Jeff Stenzel (5th at 2007 ECAC), Cullen Roberts, Sam Jackson, and Steven Jackson, juniors Dan Franck, Will Palmer, Andrew Gaidus, Jason Rapaport and Geoff Rodriguez, and sophomores Josephat Koima, Davis Filippell, Matt Wyatt, Chris Mezias, and Dhyan Adler-Belendez. “We are looking for some big jumps in performance from many of these guys,” comments Farwell. “We need a tight pack and small gap between our fourth man and the next five or six.”

In addition there is a good incoming first year class with excellent high school credentials. It will take some time for them to adjust to the 8k (5-mile) collegiate racing distance, but several could climb up the team ladder, including: Brendon Abasolo (Long Beach, NY), Scott Rodilitz (Redondo Beach, CA), Wade Davis (Hallowell, ME), Tommy Gaidus (Saddle River, NJ), Daudi Ng’eno (Sotik, Kenya), and Chase McReynolds (Wilton, CT). “There’s plenty of talent here, and we’re always excited to see some big surprises,” says Farwell.

Farwell’s approach to each season is to have his team ready for the biggest races at championship November time, but you can bet that he and his runners will be ready for the Little Three and NESCAC in late October: “Amherst is a very strong team and will again give us a nail-biting run for our money,” predicts Farwell.  “They, Trinity, Bowdoin, Tufts and Middlebury will bring strong teams to NESCAC, and at the NCAA Regional MIT, Keene State, Brandeis and Southern Maine will also contend for top places. New England is quite strong in Division III cross country, and if we can be at the top of that group we will fare well in national competition, too.”

According to the preseason polls released by the US Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) the Ephs rank 4th nationally behind top rated North Central College (IL). Amherst is the only other NESCAC team in the top ten, placing 10th.

In the New England region the USTFCCA has sic NESCAC teams ranked in the top top:  Williams (1), Amherst (2), Tufts (5), Bowdoin (6), Middlebury (8) and Bates (10).