Sunny Skies, Strong Performances at Purple Valley Classic -- Ephs 2nd to UMass-Lowell
Conor Kamm '10
Williamstown, MA--The Ephs took advantage of ideal racing conditions and a collection of talented opponents to establish themselves as a team to be reckoned with on Saturday. Beyond a pair of second place overall team finishes for the Eph men and women, the meet was also a success for the Williams' cross-country program as the Mt. Greylock Regional High School course once again proved an excellent site for hosting a meet. With a diverse group of teams present--from Division I to Division III and from eastern Ohio (Oberlin) to central Maine (Colby)--fans were rewarded with three exhilirating races and beautiful weather as well.
In the men's 8K race, UMass Lowell took top honors with a team score of 38 points. Williams finished 2nd with 53 points followed by New York University with a score of 75. Middlebury and Boston College rounded out the top five with scores of 83 and 105, respectively.
The top three finishers in the men's 8K race were either wearing or had worn the Eph jersey. Race winner Macklin Chaffee '09 ran 25:38, a personal best on the Mt. Greylock course he raced on many times during his time at Williams. Chaffee continues to train hard in hopes of improving upon an impressive collegiate career which saw him twice finish runner-up in the 1500m race at NCAA Division III Nationals for track & field. Behind Chaffee were Edgar Kosgey '10 and Josephat Koima '12, who both finished in the low 25:50's. Koima is undoubtedly the most improved runner on the Ephs, besting his top time from last season by almost two minutes. Just missing a top 10 finish was Anthony Raduazo '12, who won the 5K race at the Purple Valley Classic last year. Raduazo finished in 26:16. Jeff Perlis '10 finished 15th in 26:23 and Corey Watts '10 rounded out the scoring for the Ephs running 26:49.
In addition to the strong efforts of Koima and Raduazo, Matt Wyatt, David Carlin, and Chris Mezias all ran well for the sophomore class with all five runners producing results of 28:00 or faster. If one word summarizes the Ephs performance on their home course it is undoubtedly "depth" as many guys seem capable of playing a key role on this team down the stretch. "I thought we looked great as a team and I was happy to start of the season feeling strong," offered the aforementioned David Carlin '12.
In addition, Brandon Abasolo and Wade Davis, both freshman, displayed signs of good things to come for the cross-country program as they finished 1-2 in the 5K race. Abasolo's time of 16:17 was just one second slower than the Eph's number three finisher in the 8K, Anthony Raduazo, ran on the same course last year. Geoff Rodriguez '11 also raced quite well, setting a forty second personal best for the 5K on any course.
After top finishing teams and individuals were announced, Ephs head coach Pete Farwell thanked the many talented teams that attended, noting the geographical diversity and strength of the competing teams and hoping for a similarly strong turn out at next year's Purple Valley Classic.
For the Ephs, it's back to the trails of the Berkshires as the team looks to put together two solid weeks of training before Division 1's at Franklin Park in Boston.
