Ephs repeat as Little Three champions at Amherst

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AMHERST, MA -- Senior co-captain Bret Scofield finished 4th overall to lead Williams to their second consecutive Little Three title this afternoon in Amherst. Rainy weather made for muddy, sloppy course conditions, but that didn't stop the Ephs from pulling off some impressive personal performances to come out on top.

Williams scored 37 points and was followed by host Amherst (42) and Wesleyan (50). Amherst and Wesleyan's top runners Ravenna Neville and Sophia Galleher battled it out for first, finishing neck-and-neck in 18:51, followed by Julia Mark of Wesleyan in 19:11. Scofield and Williams' second runner, Lauren Goldstein-Kral '12, were separated by one runner and only two seconds, as Goldstein-Kral finished 6th in 19:17.

Also finishing in the top 5 to score for Williams were Olga Kondratjeva '10 (19:18), Ariel Williams '10 (19:19) and first-year Annie Dear (19:24), who stepped up in her first Varsity race and proved to be a solid contributor to the top pack of harriers. Elly Teitsworth '10 (19:25) and Olivia Delia '12 (19:38) rounded out the top 7.

The Ephs went into the meet hoping to make use of their packing strategy, sticking together in small groups throughout the race to outrun the competitors. The plan played out well, as Williams' top six runners all finished within 10 seconds of one another.

Assistant coach Patrick Wales-Dinan said, "Despite less than ideal race circumstances, the women ran a smart and tactical race and proved that they have the drive and the depth to stay on top of the Little Three."

Co-captain Jane Manfred '10 added, "The girls' perseverance through the sloppy conditions brought out the great character of the team. People really stepped up."

Next weekend, the top 12 women will race at Trinity in the NESCAC Championship on Sunday, while others will compete in the first annual Doc Seely Invitational at home on Friday.