WAVERLY, IA -- The Williams College men's cross-country team traveled to Wartburg College in Iowa Saturday, where they competed in the Division 3 National Championship meet, featuring the top thirty-two teams from around the country. For yet another Saturday, the Ephs were blessed by sunny weather, although the temperature was 32 degrees, by far the coldest the Ephs have faced this season. Wearing yellow long-sleeve shirts underneath their purple and white singlets on Saturday, the seven racers had arrived Thursday and spent the hours until the 11:00 a.m. race time preparing for the race by eating proper pre-race meals and surveying the course. As evidenced by the thirty-seven runners who finished under 25:00, the course was rolling and dry and the top runners used their speed to knock out some fast times.
Haverford College, ranked behind North Central College for the entire season, produced five all-americans including the race's champion Anders Hulleberg (24:22) en route to the national championship. Ben Sathre of St. Thomas College (Minnesota) finished right behind Hulleberg in 24:24 and was followed by last year's runner-up, Michael Spain (24:24.6) of North Central College. Spain's North Central, the defending champions, finished second overall with a score of 104 to Haverford's 87. St. Lawrence College was third with 137, Wisconsin-Platteville fourth with 198, and Dickinson fifth with 204.
A 2009 All-American, Williams' Josephat Koima led the Ephs to an 18th place finish with 500 points. Koima was 81st in 25:20, and was followed by junior Ford Smith in 25:34 (117th), a personal record for Smith. Jack Fitzhenry, after not racing since ECAC's two weeks ago, ran a season-best 25:40 and finished in 136th. Junior Anthony Raduazo was 147th in 25:46, followed by Wade Davis in 26:00 (187th). Fitzhenry, Raduazo, and Davis used strong team tactics to move up as a pack throughout the race, always remaining within sight of each other. Sophomore Scott Rodilitz (214th, 26:14) and freshman Henry Koster (243d, 26:37) rounded out the Ephs effort.
After losing four members of last year's second-place team to graduation, the Ephs managed to rebound with a successful 2010 season that included a second-place NESCAC finish, a second-place New England Regional finish, and a first-place ECAC's finish. Head Coach Pete Farwell is extremely proud at the effort his team put into this season; Nationals was the culmination of months of hard training, and the Ephs should celebrate their 2010 accomplishments. The leadership of tri-captains Andrew Gaidus, Dan Franck, and Jason Rappaport allowed the Ephs to stay focused throughout the grueling season and return to the National Championship meet once again.
