Welcome to the Williams Cross Country home page. Nestled in the Purple Valley and surrounded by beautiful mountains and countless trails, Williams is an academically elite college as well as a great place to run cross country. For scenery photos of the Ephs training grounds, click here.
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WOMEN
The 2007 squad returns 16 of the top 17 from 2006. All-American seniors Liz Gleason and Mallory Harlin and junior Rachel Asher will lead the way for the Ephs. Gleason and Harlin will serve s captains along with follow senior Lissy Robie, who emerged into the top 7 last year, and is a track All-American. Laura Walls '08 will also provide senior leadership. A talented crop of newcomers will add to the much developed sophomores and juniors to create formidable depth. Juniors Lauren Philbrook (47th regional), Kristen Emhoff (25th regional 05), Julie McNamara (6th ECAC), Gillian Tedeschi (35th regional, 50th NCAA) and Natalia Rey de Castro (19th ECAC) will mix it up. Sophomores Jessica Clarke, Bret Scofield (15th ECAC), Elly Teitsworth (36th regional, 17th NESCAC), Olga Kondratjeva (All-American at 1500 meters), Ariel Williams, and Moira Yoe (9th ECAC) bring plenty of '10 power to the pack!
It is possible for some of the '11 First Years to break into the scoring teams as well. The team should again be a top contender within the strong NESCAC and New England III, and at the national level.
MEN
The 2007 squad returns 3 of the top 7 from 2006's Regional NCAA championship team. The Ephs also won the NESCAC Conference and the ECAC Championship, and went on to place 7th at NCAA Nationals. Last year's graduating class included Stephen Wills '07 (2nd at regional), Colin Carroll (3rd in NESCAC), Mike Davitian (7th at Regional), Sean Hyland (4th at ECAC), Bill Ference (7th ECAC) and Chris Ellis-Ferrera (33rd at regional). Looking for peak senior years will be Morgan Seybert (10th NESCAC), Corey Levin (18th Regional), Jim Clayton (3rd ECAC 05), Grant Burgess (6th ECAC 05, 9:18 steeplechase) and tri-captain Jared Oubre. Top juniors '09 include Brendan Christian (4th NESCAC, 3rd at regional), Tim Durham, Brooks Udelsman, Steve VanWert and Macklin Chaffee (11th ECAC and 4:13 mile). The '10 developed quickly for Williams last year, and much is expected of them in their sophomore year: Matt Deady (26th ECAC), Connor Kamm (12th NESCAC, 27th regional), Edgar Kosgey (5th ECAC), Jeff Perlis (9th ECAC, 15:15 5k), and Corey Watts (6th ECAC, 31:52 10k).
It will be tough for First Years '11 to break into this lineup, but some have the talent to make it. The team should again be among the top 3 of the strong NESCAC conference, and vie for a top-3 New England III position and to contend for a nationals berth.
Men's cross country took 7th place at nationals this morning. Co-captain and 2005 All-American Stephen Wills '07 was the first finisher for the Ephs, coming in at 28:01 for 48th. The times over the 8-kilometer course were all slow, due to difficulties imposed by muddy, slippery footing. Mike Davitian '07 and Brendan Christian '09 were the next Ephs across the line, grabbing 54th and 55th, respectively. Corey Levin '08 took 80th and Conor Kamm '10 was 132nd to close out the men's top five. Also competing at NCAA's were co-captain Colin Carroll '07 (168th) and Chris Ellis-Ferrara '07 (196th). Story, team results, individual results.
The men's cross country team won the New England Regional Championship on Saturday at Veteran's Golf Course in Springfield, MA. The squad scored a total of 57 points for the victory to secure an automatic berth in next weekend's NCAA Championships. Story, Results
Women’s cross country placed four runners in the top 15 to take third in a competitive field of 35 teams at the ECAC Championships this Saturday. Amherst College placed four women in the top ten finishers to defend last year’s title and take the win with 37 total points. Coast Guard Academy accrued just 50 points for the second place team award, while Williams’ total of 63 points beat fourth-placed Middlebury (129) by a large margin. Williams’ hilly, 6-kilometer home course at Mount Greylock Regional High School hosted 242 competitors in the women’s race. While clouds and temperatures in the thirties kept conditions chilly for spectators, the Eph harriers were happy to race in conditions an order of magnitude better than last weekend’s “wet and wild” NESCAC race. Story, Results
The men’s cross country team captured their second straight ECAC Championship title on Saturday morning, scoring 31 points to the College of New Jersey’s 88 and Amherst’s 126. Over 40 teams sent runners to the starting line at the Ephs’ Mt. Greylock High School 8000-meter course, and the race had a total of 281 finishers. Several squads came from as far away as Pennsylvania and New Jersey to contest this championship. Sean Hyland ’07 led the two senior, four first year, and one sophomore crew to the finish, making a strong push over the last 600 meters to claim fourth overall in 26:25. The rest of the Ephs followed close behind, placing 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 11th, and 26th for a total score of 31 points. Story, Results
Although the official t-shirt from Saturday’s NESCAC Championship cross country meet displays beautiful blue skies along the shore of the Long Island sound, those who attended and competed will have a much different picture in their memory. Harkness State Park, the site of host Connecticut College’s course, provided an outstanding venue for last fall’s ECAC Championships, but this weekend mother nature decided not to cooperate. Conventional wisdom in sports says that poor conditions normally favor the underdog, and close the gap between all teams, but on this day the men’s cross country team, considered a co-favorite with Bowdoin, proved that wisdom wrong. They ran, waded, and swam away with the meet, tallying only 30 points to the runner-up Bowdoin’s 81 and third place Amherst’s 144 points, returning the first place trophy to Williamstown for the first time since 2000. The gap was tight beyond second place, however, with only 28 points separating 3rd and 9th place. Brendan Christian ’09 and Colin Carroll ’07 had breakthrough races, placing third and fourth overall to lead the squad. Story, Results
Coming into Saturday's Little Three Championships hosted by Amherst College, the men's cross country team knew they would be in for a stiff challenge. Not only had Wesleyan edged them out at the New England Championships a few weeks prior, but Amherst was looking stronger up front and deeper than in previous years. Indeed, on paper this looked like a true three team battle, with no clear favorite. Adding to the difficulty was the Ephs' 18 year winning streak, a mark that always puts a major target on their backs. The squad put all of this out of their minds before the race though, showing their strength up front and depth with a 26 point total for the victory. The host Lord Jeffs finished second with 52 points while the Cardinals slid to third with 55. Story, Results, Photos.
The sun shone brightly at Mt. Greylock High School on Saturday afternoon, treating competitors and spectators alike to the best scenery and athletics the Berkshires have to offer. When all was said and done, the men’s cross country team had made a strong statement about their current level of fitness and excellent preparation for “championship season”, beginning next week with the Little Three. The squad captured the Plansky Invitational title, a 6000-meter race, with a mere 19 points to East Stroudsburg’s (PA) 83 and MIT’s 94. Stephen Wills ’07 returned to action and re-established his place as the Ephs’ number one man, taking home the individual title in 19:10. Story and Results
The men’s cross country team traveled to Boston’s Franklin Park on Saturday morning to compete in the all-division New England Cross Country Championships. Although many of the top Div. I teams did not send their “A” squads, the meet still serves as the first opportunity for most schools to display all of their top harriers running at close to full strength. The large, competitive field also provides a good chance to practice the type of racing the Ephmen will face down the line at the season’s bigger meets. By all accounts the seven Ephs who toed the line at 1 PM in the Varsity race delivered a solid performance, placing 15th out of 45 teams, but the JV group stole the show, claiming first-place team honors in an also-hotly contested race. Brendan Christian ’09 paced the top group, placing 44th in 25:33, while Mike Davitian ’07 led the second squad, claiming third in 25:45. Story and results
The men's cross country team hosted their first meet of the season on Saturday, consisting of both 8000-meter and 5000-meter men's races at their Mount Greylock High School course. The level of competition this year was much higher in the past, with teams such as NYU and Dartmouth contributing excellent squads. The meet also serves as the Williams Aluminum Bowl alumni race, with the field spread out between the 8k and 5k. In the overall team standings the Ephmen took third place behind NYU's 46 points and Southern Connecticut's 47, but the meet provided a successful introduction to the difficult 5-mile race that will be contested at all of the season's major championships. On the individual side last year's NCAA Div. III Cross Country champion Neal Holtschulte '06 took home the first place title in a time of 25:34, with Stephen Wills '07 finishing tops among current Ephs in 8th place. Story and results
Before the start of the 5k run, there was a moment of rememberance for Adrian Martinez '06. Coach Pete Farwell and Geoff O'Donoghue '06 spoke about Adrian and his love for the sport, and there was a moment of silence.
Alumni present for the race included Chris Garvin '03, Neal Hannan '03, Eric Engler '04, Matt Winkler '04, Jenn Campbell '05, Katie Davisson '05, Katie Marsh '05, Kali Moody '05, Steve Acton '06, Andrea Burke '06, Jono Dowse '06, Neal Holtschulte '06, Dan Klein '06, and Geoff O'Donoghue '06, among others.
The Williams men's cross country team took their annual international excursion this past weekend, travelling to Montreal, Canada to race in the McGill Invitational and enjoy the city's many cultural opportunities. Facing competition mainly from Canadian schools, except for the University of Vermont, the Ephmen captured the 6k (3.7 mile) race victory with only 29 points. Senior captains Stephen Wills '07 and Colin Carroll '07 paced the squad with their respective third and fifth place finishes, while a strong first year class showed surprising strength in their first inter-collegiate competition. As the last lap wound down the leaders maintained their position while they waited to make any final moves. Wills sped across the line first for the Ephmen in third position at 19:41 for the course, with Carroll hot on his heels in fifth. Unbeknownst to him, running alone for most of the race, the rest of the Eph scorers streamed in just behind, giving them an impressive 21 second spread for their first seven runners. Kamm, Watts, Perlis, Levin, and Christian rounded out that group on this day, and with their total of 29 points collected first place team honors from Western Ontario (77 points), Vermont (86), Queen's College (114), and McGill (123). Story
First across the line at the conclusion of all five pieces of the race were the pairings of Jeff Stenzel '10 and Liz Gleason '08, Steve Van Wert '09 and Lissy Robie '08, Matt Deady '10 and Natalia Rey de Castro '09, and Corey Watts '10 and Beth Links '08. Full story
Liz Gleason '08 and Mallory Harlin '08 also competed at Penn Relays in the 10k and 5k, respectively. Gleason ran 36:41.24, a strong provisional qualifying time for Nationals, and Harlin ran 17:02.64, which is just over two seconds off an automatic qualifying time for the NCAA Div. 3 Championships and the second fastest time at Williams behind Caroline Cretti's 16:29.70 set in 2003.
Caroline Cretti, Liz Gleason, Mallory Harlin, and Michelle Rorke, who were also All-Americans in cross country in 2005
The Division III NCAA Championships were held this morning. Williams College, the defending champions, placed 2nd to SUNY-Geneseo. Led by sixth-place finisher Caroline Cretti '06, Williams placed four runners in the top 28: Liz Gleason '08 (14th), Michelle Rorke '06 (17th), and Mallory Harlin '08 (28th), along with Cretti, all achieved All-American status. Becky Davies '09 was the fifth and final scorer for the Ephs. "Four All-Americans is the second highest we've had," said Eph head coach Peter Farwell. Caroline cretti closed out an amazing career being an All-American three times and Michelle rorke came back to be an All-American after two years off. "Michelle actually slipped twice today and just kept going. Liz Gleason and Mallory Harlin really had tremendous races." The Eph second place finish is all the more impressive when you consider they graduated five of their top seven from a year ago.
Williams College senior Neal Holtschulte won today's NCAA Championship men's race at Ohio Wesleyan University, 30 minutes from his home town of Marysville, OH. Holtschulte is the first men's individual champion since Jeremie Perry in 1994.
"I was all set to give Neal the speech about being the first man at Williams to be All-American all four years and finishing in the top 10 was not bad, because I had six or seven guys I thought should finish ahead of him," said Eph head coach Peter Farwell. "He ran a great race."
"I guess I had a pretty good lead with 300m to go," said Holtschulte. "But I never like to think about winning until I know I have it. With about 50m to go I knew I had it and it was a great feeling." Holtschulte had about 15 members of his family on hand to see the victory.
The Williams men's team did not qualify for the championship meet, but Holtschulte and junior Stephen Wills did qualify as individuals. Wills finished 30th in today's race, earning All-America status.
Men's Story and Results Women's Story and Results
Women’'s cross country performed exceptionally at the Division III New England Regional Championships this weekend, taking a decisive victory over 40 other teams with their team total of only 48 points. This earned the Ephs a spot at the NCAA Division III Nationals held next week at Ohio Wesleyan University. Colby College took second (81 points), followed by Amherst College (88), Middlebury College (129), and Tufts (145). All five schools will advance to the National Championships next week in Delaware, Ohio. Completing her undefeated record at Regionals, captain Caroline Cretti ’06 ran away with her fourth consecutive individual title, finishing the 6K in 21:30, 12 seconds ahead of second placed Jennifer Adams from Keene State. Saturday’s race, hosted by Springfield College in Springfield, Massachusetts, represented the women’s first opportunity of the season to race the 6-kilometer distance used at NCAA Regionals and Nationals. Earlier season meets included only 5K and 4K courses. Clearly, the extra kilometer of distance played to the Ephs’ advantage, as all five scoring runners were amongst the top 25 finishers, making them All-Regional award recipients.
In the sport of cross country, as in most others, a season never turns out quite how team members expect it will. Whether making goals during the summer or strategizing in the week leading up to a race, it seems that something always happens that very few people anticipate. Unfortunately for the Ephmen, the New England Regional Cross Country Championships turned out to be one of those instances. With NCAA berths on the line for the top three teams and top seven individuals not on qualifying teams, the Ephs fell short by a mere seven points. Their point total of 139 landed the squad in fourth place, behind Tufts’ victorious 62, Wesleyan’s solid 118, and Keene State’s tally of 132. This year only two Ephmen will make the journey to NCAA’s, as Neal Holtschulte ’06 and Stephen Wills ’07 both grabbed one of the individual qualifying spots, placing second and sixth overall.
Women's Story and Results Men's Story and Results
This Saturday, the 5th of November, the men's and women's cross country teams arrived in New London, Connecticut to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Championships. The team took this opportunity to race their "second seven" and the Ephs had an impressive day, with the women taking home a third place team plaque out of 29 teams and the men winning their first ever title from a 38 team field. First year Gillian Tedeschi '09 was the top finisher in the women's 6000-meter race, placing fifth overall. The Amherst and Tufts did well to place tight packs towards the front, and Amherst took home the team championship with 71 points while Tufts was second with 73. Grant Burgess '08 led the way for the men, claiming third place overall in a time of 25:50 for the 8000-meter course. The team totaled 46 points to Bates' 71 and the College of New Jersey's 149, and had four runner garner All-ECAC honors (top-15).
Men's Story and Results Women's Story and Results Photos
A cold, windy October morning greeted the competitors on Saturday as they warmed up around their much drier, although still muddy, Mt. Greylock High School course. Head Coach Pete Farwell once again laid out the routes to avoid the soggy front soccer-field loop, instead starting towards the baseball field loop before traversing the two woods loops backwards. Farwell said during the week leading up, "I want you getting closer and closer to the perfect race. Try starting out a little faster, and beginning to push for the line from further away than you have before this season." The Ephs also tried to remember what tri-captain Steve Acton '06 had said on the line, "Whatever you do, remember it's the Little Three, make sure to have fun."
The women's race kicked off the meet at 12:30, and the Ephs used pack running as their strategy to take home the win. Michelle Rorke '06 finished fourth in 18:07, leading a string of six Eph harriers who swept the fourth through ninth places. Liz Gleason '08 came in at 18:26 and Mallory Harlin '08 took sixth in 18:53. A trio of three very strong first-years completed Williams' top seven: Becky Davies '09 at 19:06, Lauren Philbrook '09 at 19:11, and Gillian Tedeschi '09 in 19:17. Harlin and Gleason, among others, ran with the Amherst pack for the first mile. At that point, "Liz just moved ahead through their pack, and I followed her," said Harlin. The Amherst pack ultimately finished five seconds behind Tedeschi and a second behind the next Williams runner, Julie McNamara '09. McNamara has been improving rapidly throughout the season and had a particularly outstanding effort on Saturday. Amherst's Shauneen Garrahan, who ran part of the early race within a pack of her teammates, later kicked it in five seconds behind Cretti for second place.
The men had their turn next, sprinting off the line at 1:15 sharp to get their race underway. Up front Holtschulte and Stephen Wills '07 ran with top Cardinals Wes Fuhrman and Owen Kiely, while Morgan Seybert '08 and Chris Ellis-Ferrara '07 also found a white-and-red jersey right on their shoulder. Andy Stevenson '07, Bill Ference '07, Corey Levin '08, and Brendan Christian '09 also got out well, choosing their own strategies and moving up through the field. The top two Ephs went on to claim first and second in 25:25 and 25:28, respectively, while the Cardinals took third and fourth place. Wesleyan's third runner managed to sneak across in 5th, but Ellis-Ferrara, Christian, and Seybert captured 6th, 7th, and 8th place to round out the Eph scoring and wrap up the victory. Behind them, Ference and Levin sprinted hard to the tape, placing 9th and 11th respectively, while Clayton and the Amherst pack managed to pass Stevenson as he fell and slid down the final hill. They sprinted to the line in 27:01 and 27:06, while Mike Davitian '07 displayed his blistering kick to cross in 27:07 for 20th place.
Next week the men and women will travel to Wesleyan to compete in the 2005 NESCAC Cross Country Championships. The team will break into a top-12 Varsity group for each gender along with an "open" squad competing in an earlier race. Go Ephs!
Men's Results Women's Results
With a little less ground to cover than normal, Caroline Cretti ’06 wasted no time putting her mark on the women’s race. She took the lead coming out of the first woods loop, held her pace through the muddy back woods loop, and looked smooth coming home with the victory in 14:34. Michelle Rorke ’06 executed a more conservative strategy, choosing to run with a small pack for the majority of the race before kicking it in to collect second place in 15:03. Following close behind was Liz Gleason ’08, continuing her very consistent fall season with a fourth place finish, while Becky Davies ’09 and Mallory Harlin ’08 rounding out the scoring by taking eighth and 12th in 15:40 and 15:55, respectively. Gillian Tedeschi ’09 completed an outstanding effort of her own by finishing right on Harlin’s tail in 13th.
The pace of the 1:00 men’s race went out fast but relaxed, and a front pack of several Ephs began to form as they went around the field and turned left to enter the “second woods loop”. Stephen Wills ’07, Neal Holtschulte ’06, and a UMASS-Lowell runner led the way, with the trio of Chris Ellis-Ferrara ’07, Bill Ference ’07, and Andy Stevenson ’07 in hot pursuit. The rest of the pack followed, splashing through several enormous puddles, with Brooks Udelsman ’09, Corey Levin ’08, and Thomas Brennan ’06 taking charge. As they passed the 4k mark, a pack of six Stonehill runners crept up on the Ephs, passing with authority as they headed up the newly christened “Wills Hill” and sprinted down towards the final baseball loop. Holtschulte broke away from the field over the last kilometer, surging ahead to win by 16 seconds in 19:19. Wills claimed runner-up honors in 19:35, while Ellis-Ferrara held off the Stonehill pack to claim fourth in 20:04. Ference used his middle distance speed to pass them with a quick kick, grabbing fifth place honors in 20:07. Six Stonehill runners followed in the next five seconds, relegating Stevenson to 12th place in 20:13 to round out the Eph scoring.
Men's Story and Results Women's Story and Results
The women’s cross country team traveled to Boston this weekend to compete in the All-New England Championships held at Franklin Park. Incessant rain made for slow, muddy conditions. Nevertheless, the varsity Ephwomen pulled together strong races and placed 2nd to Boston University in a 44-team field that included many Div I schools as well as NESCAC rivals Amherst, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Bates, and Colby. The Ephs’ team finish bettered last year’s 4th place effort and was the highest since 2002.
Women's Story and Results
Their next destination came at the picturesque ski resort of Mt. Tremblant, where the Ephs enjoyed swimming, canoeing, and beach volleyball to wind down from their mornings of exploring the area's trails. Finally the group immersed themselves in a taste of Europe, spending their last two nights in the historic district of Quebec City. On Saturday, August 27th the crew spent the day touring the Citadel and the Plains of Abraham, integral parts of Canada's fascinating military history. On Sunday they work up early for a 10k road race which took place over the last miles of the Quebec Marathon which went off simultaneously. The Ephs ran ran in four-person teams, and completed a sweep of the top three spots, with the victory going to the "Turkeys" squad composed of Corey Levin '08, Andy Stevenson '07, Dave Rogawski '07, and Asst. Coach Karina Johnson. The Ephs also placed three individuals in the top ten. An early morning run on Monday through the historic district capped off a culturally and athletically enriching trip, and the Ephs returned to campus excited for another strong season.
The women come off a season in which they captured their second NCAA title in three years. Despite having graduated five seniors from last year's squad, including perennial All-American Jenn Campbell '05 and captain Katie Marsh '05, the Ephs return a strong core of upperclassmen. Co-captains Caroline Cretti '06 and Andrea Burke '06 will provide strong leadership for the Ephs, and Cretti should once again challenge for a top finish at NCAA's after her fourth place last fall. Back from a 2004 fall semester abroad and an 18th place finish in the Boston Marathon this spring, Michelle Rorke '06 should regain the form that made her an All-American three years ago.
The Ephs can also count on Liz Gleason '08, the other returnee from last year's NCAA seven, to pace the remainder of a young squad that includes several from her own class ready to burst onto the national scene. Cretti said it best, "There is just so much depth. Look at ECAC's last year, we placed 5 in the top 10!". Indeed, the Ephwomen will hope Caitlin Higgins '08, Mallory Harlin '08, Sara Morrissey '07, Lisa Davenport '07, and Emily Fertig '06, all high placers at ECAC's, can step up to fill the shoes left by the departed senior class. Eighteen talented first-year harriers will surely help the cause as well! NESCAC foes Middlebury, Tufts, Amherst and Colby will present a stiff challenge for the Ephs to defend their conference and New England titles, but as captain Cretti believes, "The team will rise to the occasion; I have no doubt".
In the 2004 season the men also performed at a high level, emerging as NESCAC, New England, and ECAC runners-up, as well as 9th place finishers at the NCAA meet. The 2005 squad has its sights set higher. The Ephs will bring to the starting line a combination of youth and experience, with the incoming sophomore and junior classes expected to build on last season's successes. A year stronger and fitter, and with another year of collegiate racing in their spikes, they should be ready for a major breakthrough. Only Sam VanVolkenburgh '05 departs from the top-12 that toed the line at Colby College last fall to contest the conference championship. Star steeplechaser Stephen Wills '07, coming off a gutsy near All-American performance at last fall's NCAA meet, will likely mix it up with the top harriers in the region, hopefully pulling fellow veterans Chris Ellis-Ferrara '07 and Bill Ference '07 along with him.
This packing strategy has proven vital to Head Coach Pete Farwell's success over the past two decades, and with a large pack of talented harriers looking to provide depth to the Eph lineup, this team may surpass all others. With 2004 NCAA performers Corey Levin '08 and Morgan Seybert '08 at the front of this second pack, co-captains Thomas Brennan '06 and Steve Acton '06 will provide vital team leadership. Last, but certainly not least, comes Neal Holtschulte '06. In addition to winning the NESCAC title, the rising senior captured second place at last fall's NCAA Championships, his third consecutive year as a Cross Country All-American. No stranger to dealing out punishment to the best lungs and legs in the land, Holtschulte should contend for the individual title in his own backyard, Ohio Wesleyan University. With his low score up front and a strong pack behind, possibly including some of the 17 incoming first-years, the Ephs will look to once again make Williamstown the capital of the New England Cross Country universe.