The United States Track & Field
and Cross Cou
ntry 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:
Lauren Philbrook '09, 19th Place 2008 NCAA XC Championships &
All-Region:
Senior Lauren Philbrook had a solid running career for three years
at Williams, but it may have been being voted captain that brought
her to the front of the pack. "After a junior track season that saw
Lauren make dramatic training breakthroughs that led to several
PR’s (personal records) including her first NCAA provisional
qualifying time for the 10,000-meter run, the x-country team knew
Philbrook would be a performance leader," assistant coach Mitchell
Baker stated.
And then, as one of four captains for the fall, she would also be
counted upon to serve as a vocal leader, coach liaison, and team
builder. Throughout the ups and downs that come to every team in
any season, she led the women's harriers in every meet at which she
competed, racking up a series of finishes that rival the best
runners in the program's storied history, and balanced that racing
as a ‘team-first’ captain of great impact.
Philbrook is one of the most improved racers on the team, and her
progression can easily be tracked in her four years of competing in
the NESCAC Championship. This year she led the team to it's first
title since 2005 with a 5th place individual finish on the heels of
past NESCAC finishes of 19th ('07), 32nd ('06), and 27th ('05). She
also took second, to eventual NCAA runner-up Elise Tropiano of
Amherst, in the Little Three.
"After being slightly disappointed at her own performance at the
conference level, she stormed to an impressive second place finish
in the rain at the NCAA New England Regional Championship on the
team's home course. Philbrook bested a number of rivals sending her
confidence to a new high and far surpassing past performances of
30th ('07), 47th ('06), and 69th ('05)," observed Baker.
"A model of consistency since her career began, Lauren drove
herself to a high peak at the NCAA meet where she ran to her first
All-American certificate and a 19th place finish, leading the team
back to the podium (top-4) for the first time since her inaugural
campaign as a first year," said Baker. "Her role on the team,
however, had gone from first-year backup to senior headliner as
clearly evidenced by her previous national finishes of 97th ('07)
and 177th as a first year ('05).” Head Coach Pete Farwell
summed it up: “Her hard work and results will inspire
the next three classes of Eph harriers to emulate her desire,
dedication, teamwork, and racing success.”
MORE EPH ALL-REGION HONOREES:
Bret Scofield ’10, 15th Place 2008 NCAA Regional
Championships:
|
| Bret Scofield |
Junior Bret Scofield’s successful 2008 track season and
summer training put her in prime position to make an impact this
fall. She spent the entire cross country season in the
varsity top seven, pushing herself and her teammates in practices
and races. The hard work paid off at the NCAA Division III
Regional, where Scofield placed 15th overall (2nd for the team) in
a time of 23:21.6, then went over a minute faster at the NCAA
National Championship with a 79th place finish (4th for the team)
in 22:16.86, helping the team secure a third place
finish.
Rachel Asher ’09, 17th Place 2008 NCAA Regional
Championships:
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|
| Rachel Asher |
After spending the spring and summer abroad in Argentina, Rachel
Asher returned to campus with one goal: lead her team to the NCAA
National Championships. Although she had been an All-American
in 2006 and Williams’ number one runner for most of the 2007
season, Asher had not been able to train as much during the summer
months. Therefore, the senior and team captain spent much of
the season building up her base and refining her speed, making a
major breakthrough at the perfect time at the NCAA Regional (17th
place, 3rd for the team) and coming in 140th at the NCAA
Championship meet in her fastest race of the season,
22:49.33.
Meghan Shea ’11, 18th Place 2008 NCAA Regional
Championships:
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| Meghan Shea |
Meghan Shea (18th) is a novice cross country runner, having
played soccer in high school and missing last fall’s harrier
season with illness. Head Coach Pete Farwell praises her
“quick mastery of the sport after last spring’s
excellent track season debuting in the steeplechase, dedicated
summer training, and throwing her self into the top echelon of
Williams racers this fall.” Her season included a 2nd team
All NESCAC recognition for her 13th place at the conference
championships, 18th place to gain All-Region status, and finally a
super-fast PR race of 22:12 at nationals to garner 73rd place as
3rd team finisher, helping the Ephs to a third place finish and an
NCAA trophy.
Robin Kuntz ’09, 30th Place 2008 NCAA Regional
Championships:
|
| Robin Kuntz |
Some athletes come in and perform at a high level from the
beginning. Others build into that role year-by-year. Kuntz
represents a third but equally successful model: after a cross
country career beset by injury and disappointment, she focused on
speed events on the track (400-hurdles and 800-meters) only to
return to the trails her senior year with renewed vigor and an
excellent summer of training.
With her ceiling unknown, she listened to her body throughout the
early parts of the season and found herself as high as second on
the team at the All New England Championships. Despite a mid-season
lull, she regrouped when the team lost two runners to injury, she
nabbed 30th place at the NCAA Regional Championship (5th for the
team) closing the door on scoring and securing the automatic bid to
the NCAA Championships. At the NCAA level, she came up big for the
team again, leading a tight pack of 2-3-4 runners with a 68th place
finish, dropping her time from 23:49 at the Regional to 22:10 at
the NCAA Championship Race.
Elly Teitsworth ’10, 31st Place 2008 NCAA Regional
Championships:
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| Elly Teitsworth |
Elly Teitsworth (31st) ran her signature come-from-behind race
to pass some 100 runners and gain All-Region honors for the third
time in her career. Teitsworth annually improves immensely during
the season, moving up through the ranks of her teammates to claim a
top-seven spot for the Ephs, and she contributed again this year as
fifth scorer at the nationals, securing the team a third place NCAA
trophy and podium position. Head Coach Pete Farwell observed:
“Elly is continually shifting gears in a race, starting in
first gear and accelerating throughout, finishing in
‘over-drive’ for the final mile”
Jessica Clarke ’10, 32nd Place 2008 NCAA Regional
Championships:
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| Jessica Clarke |
Jessica Clarke (32nd) moved into the top five Ephs for the first time this season, and completed her campaign as All-Region runner. “Jess trained hard this summer to be ready to fill the shoes of two graduated seniors and our top returning runner who chose to study a semester abroad this fall,” noted Head Coach Pete Farwell. "And she came through with flying colors, and feet! She was a crucial cog in the signature Eph ‘pack attack’ of Williams’ 2nd through 8th runners who trained and raced step-for-step together this year.
