2021 Season

NCAA DIVISION III NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP: After earning automatic national qualifying bids by winning the regional championship, the Williams men and women joined 31 other teams and 70 individuals in Louisville, Kentucky for the Division III National Championship. The races were held at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park — the same site as the 2019 championship where both teams placed 3rd — but with only a few athletes returning from that meet, the new squads were excited to see what they could do this year. The strategy was the same as always: pack up, “spot” each other, work together, move up, and the energy from teammates and fans was higher than ever: flashes of purple and gold and the WILLIAMS chant could be seen and heard all over the course.

The men’s team kicked things off with an outstanding team effort to finish 3rd and earn a spot on the podium. Junior Elias Lindgren and senior Aidan Ryan, who had raced on the course back in 2019, used their experience to their advantage and pushed the pace with the top group throughout the race. Lindgren ran a gutsy final mile and finished 2nd (23:30.3) in a close battle with John Carroll’s Alex Phillip, and Ryan held on for 4th place (23:42.8). Both earned All-American honors, along with first-year Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos, who finished 19th (24:07.8), and was the top first-year finisher from any team. Junior Will Spollen (87th; 24:43.6) and first-year Chuckie Namiot (91st; 24:46.3) rounded out the top 5 for the Ephs, with sophomore Nate Lentz also breaking the 25:00 barrier (126th; 24:58.6), and sophomore John Lucey battling every step to get through the finish line despite lingering effects from the illness that had kept him out of the regional meet. As expected, Pomona-Pitzer and MIT proved to be tough competition, and both teams moved up well throughout the race to secure the first and second place team finishes. The final team scores for the podium teams were: Pomona-Pitzer 88, MIT 112, Williams 167, and John Carroll 179.

The women’s team once again showed their depth, with all seven women scoring in the top 100 to finish 7th place as a team. Sophomore Genna Girard led the way, finishing in 15th (21:19.9) to earn All-American honors. As they had done throughout the season, the Williams women embraced the idea of running together and working together, which was especially apparent as two groups of purple and gold crossed the line in trios. First-year Ella Ball (63rd), senior Grace Dailey (67th), and junior Maddy Lawler (72nd) came across in 22:07, 22:08, and 22:11, respectively, and not too far behind a second trio of senior Emma Tapscott, senior Abby Scott, and first-year Charlotte Staudenmayer finished in 22:30, 22:32, and 22:35. Only two teams — national champion Johns Hopkins and fourth-place Wartburg — had their seventh runners ahead of Williams, and the future certainly looks bright for this group of women. The final team scores for the top seven teams were: Johns Hopkins 130, Claremont-Mudd Scrips 132, SUNY Geneseo 168, Wartburg 179, Washington U. 200, U. of Chicago 266, and Williams 272.

It was a great day (and week, and month, and season!) to be an Eph! We are so proud of these teams and all they accomplished this season, so grateful for the support from friends, family, and teammates, and so excited for the future of Williams XC.

NCAA MIDEAST REGIONAL CHAMPIONS! Williams competed in their first “Mideast” Regional Championship this year, as the former “New England” region was split by the new NCAA regional alignment, which created 10 regions instead of 8. Former regional rivals MIT moved to the new “East” region, but the Ephs certainly still had their work cut out for them, with some strong teams — Middlebury, Amherst, Conn College, and others — remaining in the mix in the Mideast.

Once again, both the men and the women had to overcome some challenges — with one runner on each team having to sit out due to illness, two athletes returning from late-season injuries, and one fighting back after a hard fall early in the race. However, the depth on both teams truly showed through, as strong performances from both alternates and our signature pack running helped secure team titles for both the men and the women.

The men’s race was especially exciting, as Williams swept the top three spots, with senior Aidan Ryan winning the individual championship and teammates junior Elias Lindgren and first-year Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos finishing in second and third. Those three, along with junior Will Spollen, sophomore Nate Lentz, and junior Simon Kissam, were all named to the All-Region team. The final team scores were: Williams 54, Middlebury 68, and RPI 82.

On the women’s side, sophomore Genna Girard ran away from a group of competitors over the final mile to win her first individual title. Not too far behind her, the rest of the Williams women (Abby Scott, Grace Dailey, Emma Tapscott, Maddy Lawler, Charlotte Staudenmayer, and Molly FitzGibbons) came across the line in a strong pack, with all six finishing within 30 seconds of each other, and all seven (including Genna) earning All-Region honors. Similar to the men, their depth helped them defeat Middlebury, and the final team scores were: Williams 90, Middlebury 99, and Amherst 102.

Both teams earned automatic bids to the NCAA National Championship meet, which will be held at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday, November 20th.

NESCAC CHAMPIONS! The NESCAC Cross Country Championship returned this year after being cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19. Despite a very muddy course at Wickham Park and some unexpected setbacks, the Ephs were determined to defend their championship from 2019… and that they did! The Williams men and women once again swept the team titles, marking the 19^th overall championship for the men, and the 18^th for the women. Seven Ephs also earned All-NESCAC honors, and Head Coach Pete Farwell was named Women’s Coach of the Year.

The men’s race did not go quite according to plan – with one runner having to drop out, another losing a shoe in the mud, and a few taking some spills and falls along the way – however, they managed to maintain their composure and worked well together to hold off Middlebury 51-58. Two duos led the way up front, with junior Elias Lindgren and first-year Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos finishing in 3^rd and 4^th place, and junior Will Spollen and sophomore John Lucey not too far back in 12^th and 13^th. All four earned All-NESCAC Honors, and Tuohy-Gaydos was named Rookie of the Year.

Being second on the course, the women had to navigate even trickier terrain; however, they also learned some lessons from the men. They packed up early on in the race and worked together to move up throughout, even providing words of encouragement to each other during particularly hilly or muddy sections. Sophomore Genna Girard was the first Eph across the line, finishing 3^rd overall and earning First-Team All-NESCAC and Rookie of the Year honors for her effort. First-year Ella Ball and junior Maddy Lawler were also named to the All-NESCAC team, finishing 9^th and 13^th to earn Second-Team honors. These three were impressive, but Tufts also had a very strong three up front, so what really made the difference in the team scoring was a nice pack of senior Grace Dailey, first-year Charlotte Staudenmayer, and sophomore Molly Fitzgibbons coming through all together in 19^th, 20^th, and 21^st place. The Jumbos’ 4^th and 5^th runners were too far back to overcome Williams’ depth up front, and the Ephs came home with the win: 65-78.

CONN COLLEGE INVITATIONAL: Mid-October means championship season is right around the corner, and the Conn College XC Invitational was a great place for the Ephs to test their fitness against some of the top teams in Division III. Ten nationally-ranked women’s teams and eight nationally-ranked men’s teams toed the line at Harkness Memorial State Park, and the Williams men and women came out on top. 

Senior Abby Scott, senior Grace Dailey, and first-year Sophie Rosencrans kicked off the morning with a 1-2-3 finish to lead the women to the team title in the white race. A few hours later, the Eph women brought home their second team championship of the day in the blue race, led by a second place finish from sophomore Genna Girard, and three additional Ephs in the top 25 (Ella Ball 13th; Maddy Lawler 14th; and Emma Tapscott 21st). At about the midway mark, Williams was trailing MIT 113-114, but smart second-half racing by those four, along with first-year Charlotte Staudenmayer who rounded out the top 5 in 28th place, ultimately led to a 74-99 Williams victory.

On the men’s side, sophomore Luke Tichi returned to racing for the first time this season, posting a top-10 finish in the white race. Teammates junior Grant Gattuso, first-year Victor Cazabal, senior Hamza Mankor, and senior Chris Avila were not too far behind, working well together to round out the top 5 and secure a third place team finish. In the men’s blue race, senior Aidan Ryan defended his individual title from 2019 in dominating fashion, leading the race from start to finish and setting a new course record of 23:52. A big pack of Ephs were working just as hard behind him with junior Elias Lindgren (3rd), first-year Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos (9th), sophomore John Lucey (11th), and junior Will Spollen (T12th) all closing hard to hold off MIT 37-43 for the team title. Aidan earned NESCAC Athlete of the Week honors for his performance.

COMMUNITY SERVICE: With no classes during reading period, the Ephs volunteered some of their extra time to get out and give back to the community! Some athletes worked on cleaning up the roads and trails we frequently run on, while others prepared meals at the Berkshire Food Project or helped out at Peace Valley Farm. Beautiful weather, great teammates, and wonderful community partners made for a productive and enjoyable day. We can’t wait to help out again soon!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WESTFIELD STATE MEET: The Ephs returned to racing at the 25^th annual James Early Invitational hosted by Westfield State University. Eight men and eleven women competed in the meet, with nearly everyone improving on their performances from earlier in the season. The men’s team placed 6^th, led by a 17^th-place finish from first-year Victor Cazabal, and the women put three in the top 15 (sophomore Molly Fitzgibbons, senior Grace Dailey, and first-year Sophie Rosencrans) to finish 3^rd in the team standings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MT. GREYLOCK RUN: With a weekend off racing coming up, the Ephs took the opportunity to get in their annual tempo run up Mt. Greylock. A tough climb, but beautiful views and the cider and donuts waiting at the top made it worth it! Spirits were high despite the cold, cloudy weather– another great day to be an Eph!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PURPLE VALLEY CLASSIC: Running as a pack, staying relaxed through the early part of the race, and moving up together to the finish proved to be a successful strategy at the Little 3, and left the Ephs feeling even more prepared to execute a similar race plan the following week at the Purple Valley Classic, now over a longer distance – 6k for the women, and 8k for the men. Once again, the women worked well together, putting their entire top 7 in the top 20 to secure a huge team win over #6-ranked MIT, #11 Tufts, and #13 Middlebury. The men’s race was also exciting, with the Ephs closing well over the final loop to narrowly edge out #6-ranked MIT for the team win by just 3 points, 29-32. Junior Elias Lindgren took home the individual win for the second week in a row, and earned National Athlete of the Week honors for his effort.

 

LITTLE 3 CHAMPIONSHIP: After the MCLA meet and Co-Ed Relays at Cole Field, the teams were eager to get back to their “home” course at Mt. Greylock Regional High School. Construction at the school forced some adjustments to the course – which led to new 4k, 6k, and 8k race courses – but that didn’t slow down the Ephs! Both the men and women won the team titles at the Little 3 Championship and the Purple Valley Classic.

At the Little 3, the women placed 5 runners in the top 8 to win their 13^th consecutive title over Amherst and Wesleyan. They showed a range of new talent and experience, as the five scorers consisted of first-years Charlotte Staudenmayer (3^rd) and Grace Kaercher (5^th), juniors Alex Bettez (4^th) and Maddy Lawler (7^th), and senior captain Emma Tapscott (8^th). On the men’s side, junior Elias Lindgren won the individual title, with first-year Grahm Tuohy-Gaydos, sophomore John Lucey, junior Will Spollen, and senior Aidan Ryan rounding out the top five for a perfect score of 15.

Co-Ed RELAYS: The Ephs returned to Cole Field for Co-Ed Relays and this time were joined by an unexpected guest – a moose! The positive energy and excitement continued throughout the workout as relay partners took turns racing 3k and 2k loops. It was a truly special morning of team bonding and a sign of good things to come!

 

MCLA DUAL MEET: The Ephs kicked off their racing season by hosting a dual meet against Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (MCLA) at Cole Field. Though only a small group of racers toed the line for the 5k, the whole squad came out to cheer and support their teammates. Both the women and men swept the team scoring, led by individual wins from junior Alexandra Bettez and senior captain Hamza Mankor.

PRESEASON: During preseason, the team ran their first workout at the Park-McCullough Historic Governor’s Mansion and took day trips to Savoy Mountain State Forest and Lake Shaftsbury State Park. It was great to spend time together running, swimming, kayaking, picnicking!

Together again! After eighteen months of masking, social distancing, training alone or in small groups, and a 2020 season that was limited to intrasquad and virtual races, the Ephs are back in Williamstown and excited for a more traditional season of training and racing.

 

2020 Season

The 2020 season was unique in Williams history. As the campus community dealt with restrictions and uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team spent much of summer in limbo, waiting for protocols and decisions about how practices and competition might take place as safely as possible.

By the fall, Williams and NESCAC leadership had decided that no in-person meets would take place. In addition, masking and distancing requirements would be in place for practices, limiting the amount of contact and interaction that students could have with each other. On September 14, after all quarantines had been completed, the season began with 10-person groups meeting for low-key workouts and strength sessions about four days per week.

Despite the limitations, the Ephs’ team spirit continued as a cornerstone of the program. The team managed to complete a variety of intrasquad and virtual competitions, including the annual Coed Relays, a series of track time trials at mile, 3k, and 5k distances, and a full length virtual New England Div. IIII cross country championship. Using a two-kilometer loop on Cole Field, and compiling times vs. other teams competing on their own campuses, the women ran 6k and won the meet, while the men ran 8k and finished 3rd overall.

The groups enjoyed running many of Williamstown’s beautiful trails, unaffected by the pandemic, and managed to maintain some staple workouts, highlighted by a long climb to the top of the Taconic Crest. A favorite topic on runs was to discuss how much of a conversion could be given for times run in masks, but times were never the focus during this strange season. Instead, the team continually expressed gratitude at being together and having the opportunity to train in Williamstown. After the team’s final intrasquad race, featuring a non-traditional DMR, the group could feel proud of the resilience and determination they had shown in reaching the end of an unprecedented season.

 

2019 Season

In 2019 the Williams cross country teams added a tremendously memorable chapter to the long tradition of success and camaraderie enjoyed by Eph harriers over the years.

Women

The women’s team began the season excited to welcome an interesting mix of youth and experience. Senior captains Emma Herrmann and Hannah Lebowitz were veterans in their fourth year, but even some of their classmates were still learning or re-learning the ropes. Anna Passannante was a senior who had enjoyed great success in track, but had spent her junior season abroad in Spain, and Maddy Boutet was another senior with even less experience, having spent her previous three years at Williams with women’s crew.

Accordingly, the team took some time to establish their goals and identity, but they continued to build and develop into a very strong group. After kicking off the season with races against Division 1 competition at the Monmouth Invitational, the women earned a solid win at the Little 3 Championships over Amherst and Wesleyan, then rallied to a second place finish as the hosts of the Purple Valley Classic.

Despite finishing just behind NESCAC rival Tufts came on their home course, the Eph women stayed confident as they started to come together. When a small contingent won the Keene State Invitational, the team knew that good things would happen when the whole team began racing together in the second half of the season.

In the next big test, at the Conn College Inter-Regional, the Ephs took on a very strong field and finished second, this time moving past Tufts but falling just short of MIT’s winning performance. Still, first year Eva Borton ’23 and juniors Sarah Tully, Brianna Bourne, and Jaylan Fraser-Mines  all ’21, were finding their stride, and the whole team put together an outstanding team race back at home for the NESCAC meet. Under sunny skies, the team rallied for a great win, 58 to 90 over second-pace Tufts.

In the rematch vs. MIT at the NCAA regional meet hosted by Bowdoin, the Williams women continued their late season charge, winning the team championship by 20 points. Team depth was the key, as MIT had the individual winner and Borton was the first Eph across the line in 8th place, but Williams packed up with their fifth scorer only 27 seconds behind Borton, in 21st place.

Gaining national respect after that performance, the team was ranked third coming into the national championship and lived up to their billing, finishing third behind All-American performances from Borton and Tully. The team ran a great collective race, navigating the winding, crowded, and muddy course with assurance. With contributions from every class and unexpected sources, the women showed the resilience and adaptability that has become a trademark of the program.

Men

On the men’s side, a senior-heavy group led by captains Ryan Cox, Kenneth Marshall, and Tristan Colaizzi looked to draw from their experience and talent. Momentum started building in the early summer, as the highly motivated group committed to outstanding preparation. The season was full of highlights that proved the value of all those summer miles.

The season kicked off with split squad competition against Division 1 opponents including Monmouth and St. Joseph’s. With that rust buster behind them, the men’s first full team effort came in the Little 3 meet against Amherst and Wesleyan. Results showed one of the most dominant wins in the long history of the rivalry, with the men putting up not only a perfect score, but sweeping the top eight places in the race.

Having shown their strength, the season continued in similar fashion, with wins in the Purple Valley Classic at home, the Keene State Invitational, and over a loaded field at the Conn College Inter-Regional. After that meet, the Ephs had earned notice on the national scene, rising in the polls and seeing Aidan Ryan ’21 recognized as national Athlete of the Week for his individual win in 23:56.

The NESCAC meet, hosted at home in perfect weather on November 2, was another tremendous day. The men posted an amazing score of 22 points, with Ryan winning and the next six Ephs all finishing in the top 11. The weather was colder at Bowdoin for the NCAA regional championship two weeks later, but the results were similar, as Ryan added another individual win and the Ephs scored 24 points by putting five runners in the top eight.

By the time of the NCAA championship, expectations were high and the Ephs were ranked as co-favorites in the meet. After a dream season, where the team caught every break, luck finally ran out on the muddy course in Louisville, Kentucky. One Williams runner came down with illness two days before the race, another lost a shoe in the first two miles and finished anyway, and a third fell hard in the crowded, slippery conditions. The team’s strength showed again, as they finished third despite the misfortune on their toughest day of the season. Ryan and Cox both earned All-American honors. It was a season marked by the leadership and example of the senior class, and they made a lasting impact on the record books with their remarkable success.