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Click here to read The Thoughts of a Champion by Neal Holtschulte '06 -- 2005 NCAA Div. 3 Champion and Runner of the Year

2007 Season Outlook

Morgan Seybert '08

Corey Levin '08

The 2007 Eph squad returns 3 of the top 7 from last year's NCAA New England Regional championship team. The Ephs also won the NESCAC title and the ECAC Championship, and went on to place 7th at NCAA Nationals.

Last year's graduating class included Stephen Wills (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 include Brendan Christian (4th NESCAC; 3rd at Regional), Tim Durham, Brooks Udelsman, Steve VanWert and Macklin Chaffee (11th ECAC; 4:13 mile).

The Class of 2010 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 members of the Class of 2011 to break into this lineup, but some have the talent to make it. The team should again be among the top 3 in the always highly competitive NESCAC and vie for a top-3 New England Div. III position and another trip to the NCAA Championships.

2006 Season Wrap-Up

Stephen Wills '07

Mike Davitian '07

The Ephs showed impressive depth throughout the year fielding 15 runners who scored on the way to winning six races including a 19th consecutive Little Three title, the NESCAC title and the New England Div. III title. The season finished in West Chester, OH at Voice of America Park, which was more like Voice of America Mud Bowl in the NCAA Div. III Championships race. The Ephs fought their way through hordes of runners and slogged through plenty of mud and puddles to finish seventh.

The weather throughout the year could only be described as challenging as most races were conducted under muddy and slippery conditions and the NESCAC and NCAA Championships were held under even more demanding conditions.

Seniors Stephen Wills (3rd) and Colin Carroll (4th) led the way in the season-opening win at McGill University in Montreal, followed by first year Corey Watts in 8th, sophomore Corey Levin in 10th and first year Jeff Perlis in 11th.

At home for the Purple Valley Classic the Ephs finished third behind NYU and Southern Connecticut as Stephen Wills was the lone Eph to finish in the top ten, coming in 8th.

At the New England Div. I Championships in Boston's Franklin Park, the Ephs were without Stephen Wills. Brendan Christian was the first Eph to cross the finish line (44th) as the Ephs finished 15th overall, third among Div. III schools, but well back of Bowdoin and just behind Wesleyan.

Brendan Christian '09

Corey Levin '08

Back home for the Plansky Invitational the Ephs placed five runners in the top nine spots to cruise to the win. Wills returned to the lineup and won the race by six seconds over first year Connor Kamm.

The Ephs rolled into Amherst in search of their 19th consecutive Little Three title and expecting a strong challenge from a Wesleyan team that had finished ahead of them at the Div. I New England Championships. The Ephs placed five runners in the top nine again and won the title with 26 points, beating Amherst (52) and Wesleyan (55). The Ephs top five included a senior and tow sophomores and two first years. Mike Davitian, a senior with a serious finishing kick, came in seventh. First year Connor Kamm was second in the race and classmate Corey Watts took eighth, while sophomores Corey Levin (4th) and Brendan Christian (5th) emphatically highlighted the depth of this Eph team.

Conditions in Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, CT, for the NESCAC Championship race were exceptionally demanding with lots of rain on an already saturated course that sported mud pits and knee high puddles to traverse. Neither the condition of the course or the other 10 NESCAC Schools were able to stop the Ephs as they took home the NESCAC title with a 51-point margin of victory over runner-up Bowdoin. The Ephs placed five runners in the top ten with Christian 3rd, Carroll 4th, Wills 6th, Davitian 7th and junior Morgan Seybert 10th. The top four Ephs all earned First Team All-NESCAC honors, while Seybert and Kamm (12th) were named to the All-NESCAC Second Team. Additionally, Kamm was named the NESCAC Rookie of the Year and head coach Peter Farwell won Coach of the Year honors.

Connor Kamm '10

Colin Carroll '07

The Ephs hosted the ECAC Div. III Championships at Mt. Greylock HS and for the second year in a row the 'second seven' came away with the tile. The recipe for success was the same as at NESCACs, place five runners in the top nine. Senior Sean Hyland led the Ephs (4th), followed by first year Edgar Kosgey (5th), Watts (6th), Bill Ference (7th) and Jeff Perlis (9th).

The Ephs headed to Veterans Golf course in Springfield, MA, in search of a bid to the NCAA Div. III Championships and they had no trouble securing an automatic bid by winning the title by 68 points over second place Bowdoin. This was the Ephs first New England Div. III title since 1998.

To win the Ephs put three runners in the top 10 and their next two finished in the top 27. Wills was the first Eph to finish coming in second, Christian was third, Davitian seventh. Corey Levin took 18th and Kamm finished 27th. Peter Farwell was named the USTFCCCA New England Region Men's Coach of the Year.

At the NCAA Championships the Ephs once again encountered a course with plenty of mud and puddles, but they plowed their way to a 7th place finish with Wills finishing 48th, Davitian 55th, Christian 56th, Levin 80th and Kamm 132nd.

Normally when a team has six seniors score throughout the season and make significant contributions the following year would look to be a rebuilding year, but that may not be the case next fall for the Ephs who will still return nine scoring runners, three of whom competed at the 2006 NCAA Championships race.

Peter Farwell – NESCAC & USTFCCCA New England Coach of the Year

2006 Season Outlook

The Eph streak of consecutive years in the NCAA Championships race ended last fall at 12 when they finished fourth at the New England Div. 3 Championships race and did not advance.

Head coach Peter Farwell has plenty of talented and experienced runners on hand to begin a new string of NCAA Championships appearances, but he will have to replace one of the best runners in Eph history in Neal Holtschulte who has graduated.

Holtschulte became the first Eph to earn All-America honors all four years when he won the 2005 NCAA Championship race. He was the second Eph to win the NCAA title.

Stephen Wills '07

Farwell returns one All-American in senior Stephen Wills and five more top seven runners from the 2005 New England Div. 3 Championships race, plus three more who finished in the top seven for Williams in races in the regular season and five more who helped lead the Ephs to their first ECAC Div. 3 Championship.

There are 22 first year candidates who have expressed interest in joining the team, so depth abounds on the 2006 Eph roster.

Wills, a captain, is coming off a 2005 season that proved conclusively that he can run with the best runners in NCAA Div. 3 as he captured All-American honors with a 30th place finish, posted a third place finish at NESCACs and took sixth at the New England Div. 3 Championships.

“We are very glad to welcome Stephen back after his time abroad in Mongolia, and we have full confidence that he’ll be able to pick right up where he left off last fall and be one of the front-runners on the team all season,” said Farwell.

Bill Ference '07

Senior captain Bill Ference, who finished 15th at the NESCAC Championships and last year, returns, as does classmate Chris Ellis-Ferrara. Ellis-Ferrara finished 31st at the NESCAC Championships and then stepped up his performance in the next race, finishing 26th at the New England Div. 3 Championships race at Springfield College.

“This year’s senior class is loaded with experience in big meets, and they all work well together and bring different types of leadership," said Farwell. "Their presence, spearheaded by our three captains, Bill, Stephen, and Colin (Carroll) will be a big asset for the team.”

Morgan Seybert '08

Two juniors return from last season's top seven in Morgan Seybert and Corey Levin, along with sophomore Brendan Christian. Seybert was a Second Team All-NESCAC honoree with his 13th place finish at NESCACs and he placed 50th at the New England Div. 3 race. Levin started slowly last fall, making his first top seven Eph finish on October 22nd. He then placed 36th at the NESCAC Championships and came in 55th in the New England Div. 3 race.

Four times in 2005 Brendan Christian was among the top seven Ephs to finish, and he was 30th at NESCACs and 77th at New Englands.

Returning six of your top seven runners is a great place to start a season, but knowing that there is also a herd of other talented Ephs set to battle for the seventh spot in the top seven or even higher on the ladder makes for even more optimism for the 2006 season.

“We have the biggest team we’ve ever had, and with our depth someone is sure to surprise us this season," said Farwell. "With so many guys returning and running well, we expect good things. It’s a Williams tradition to have a wild card from somewhere in the upper classes, and this year is no different as there are lots of prospects for big improvements.”

All seven of the Ephs who led Williams to its first ECAC Championship at Connecticut College last November return to battle for a top seven spot on this year's team. Traditionally the Ephs send their 'second seven' runners to the ECACs to give them big-race post-season experience for the future. It has also served as a confidence booster and made many an Eph runner hungrier for success in succeeding years.

Sophomore Grant Burgess was third overall at the ECAC Championships and led a trio of Ephs who finished in the top six. Senior track All-American Mike Davitian, a miler, was right behind Burgess coming in fourth. Junior Jim Clayton finished sixth.

Chris Ellis-Ferrara '07

Senior Andy Stevenson was 11th, junior David Rogawski finished 22nd, while seniors Sean Hyland (26th) and senior captain Colin Carroll finished 35th. Carroll also finished 21st at the Purple Valley Classic and then came in 110th in Boston at the New England Div. 1 race.

Stevenson also notched an eighth place finish in the Purple Valley Classic and was 156th in the New England Div. 1 race where the Ephs finished eighth.

The talent-laden first-year class, biggest ever in the team’s history, will add several runners to the mix in the quest for a spot in the top seven or second seven.

Along with getting back to the NCAA Championships race Farwell’s harriers will be looking to extend the Eph streak of Little Three Championships to 19, and then battle for the NESCAC and New England titles.

“Tufts is the defending NESCAC and New England champion, but we were very close to them at NESCACs last year," noted Farwell. "We had good battles with Wesleyan last season, too. Bowdoin emerged as a contender last year as well, and has their whole team back. Amherst looks more talented and deep than last year, and will be moving up. It’s hard to predict where all these teams will be in November, because there is no clear-cut favorite to win the conference or the region.”

The first scoring event the Ephs will participate in this fall will be on September 16 when they compete in the McGill University Invitational in Montreal.

Marzuki Stevens'96 Qualifies for U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials

Marzuki Stevens '96 seen competing in a previous Chicago Marathon

Stevens, a marathon veteran and frequent competitor in Boston, took part in a revival of sorts for American men, as he placed 20th overall and 11th among U.S. citizens. His time of 2:20:11 qualified him for the 2008 U. S. Olympic Trials and represents a blistering pace of 5:21 per mile. Stevens was a member of the Ephs' 1994 and 1995 NCAA championship teams and was a two-time All-American.

2005 Season wrap-up

Senior Neal Holtschulte became the first Eph male runner to earn All-America honors four consecutive years when he won the race by 13 seconds. A year ago Holtschulte had placed second in the race. This season and during the key training months of the summer, Holtschulte was dogged by injury. You can read his account of the NCAA Championship race by clicking here..

By virtue of winning the NCAA Div. 3 race Holtschulte was accorded the honor of NCAA Div. 3 runner of the Year. Junior Stephen Wills captured All-America honors with a 30th place finish in the NCAA race.

Neal Holtschulte (l.) and Stephen Wills at the Purple Valley Classic

The Ephs won the Purple Valley Classic, the Plansky Invitational, their 18th straight Little Three title and their first ECAC Div. 3 title, but did not advance to the NCAA Championships for the first time in 13 years. Only three men's teams in New England were allowed to compete at the NCAA Championships and the Ephs finished fourth at the qualifying race in mid-November.

The Ephs were second to Tufts in the NESCAC championship race by just four points and ran to an impressive 8th-place finish at the New England Div. 1 championship race, but the end of the streak of attending the NCAA Championships put a slight damper on the season.

The end of one streak always brings the opportunity to start another and head coach Peter Farwell will welcome back 13 of the 14 runners who competed in either the New England NCAA Qualifier or the ECAC Championships. Returnees who ran in the New England NCAA Qualifier include: juniors Stephen Wills (6), Chris Ellis-Ferrara (26) and Bill Ference (126); sophomores Morgan Seybert (50) and Corey Levin (55) and first year Brandon Christian (77.

From the ECAC title team Farwell will have back four juniors Mike Davitian (4), Andy Stevenson (11), Sean Hyland (26) and Colin Carroll (35) along with a trio of sophomores (Grant Burgess (3), Jim Clayton (6) and Dave Rogawski.

T. Bear on hand as Ephs Win 18th Straight Little Three Title

T. Bear returned in time to join the Eph seniors in celebrating their 18th straight Little Three title. Class of 2005 (from l. to r.): Rob Cooper, Dan Klein, Geoff O'Donoghue (holding T. Bear), Thomas Brennan, Adrian Martinez, Jonathan Dowse, Neal Holtschulte and Steve Acton.

2005 ECAC Champions -- 1st ECAC title won by the Ephs -- (l. to r.) -- Mike Davitian '07, Colin Carroll '07, Sean Hyland '07, Andy Stevenson '07, Grant Burgess '08, The Bear, Jim Clayton '08, Dave Rogawski '08, (race official).

2005 Season Outlook

Neal Holtschulte '06

Over the past two years the Williams men's cross country team has been ranked in the top 20 nationally and not projected to finish in the top 10 at the NCAA championships.

Both years the Ephs cracked the top 10, finishing ninth last November.

Knowing how to run is one thing, but being in peak condition and ready to run at the end of the season is a whole different matter. Pete Farwell coached teams are known for peaking at the finale of each season. This season will be Farwell’s 26th at the helm of the Eph men.

Adrian Martinez '06

With six of last year's top seven runners who competed in the NCAA championship race returning, this might be the first time the Ephs crack the top five since 2001. Lost to graduation was Sam VanVolkenburgh who was the second Eph across the line at the NCAA race a year ago with a 63rd-place finish. Farwell will look to senior tri-captain and three-time All-American Neal Holtschulte to lead his 2005 team. Holtschulte is bidding to become the first Eph male cross-country runner to earn All-America honors four years in a row.

In 2004 Holtschulte successfully defended his individual NESCAC title and was runner-up in the NCAA regional race before his phenomenal second place finish at the NCAA championship race. If Holtschulte can conquer a troublesome hip injury he will certainly contend for top national honors this fall.

Holtschulte battled through an injury-plagued 2005 indoor track season and even though he lost a shoe in the 5,000-meter run at the outdoor NCAAs he earned All-America honors with a 7th place finish. Holtschulte has the heart and desire of a true champion. "There is no better positional racer, tactical pacer, and fiercer finisher than Neal," said Farwell. "In championship meets he knows how to come through."

Farwell's third place finisher at the NCAA race last November was junior Stephen Wills. Wills finished in 76th place after challenging for All-American honors till a half-mile to go. He kicked marvelously for a third place finish at the NESCAC championships and was 12th in the New England regional the week before the NCAAs.

"Stephen has showed he can run with the best of them, and with Neal he will create a terrific 1-2 punch up front for us," said Farwell.

The fourth and fifth men for the Ephs at the NESCAC and NCAA regional were juniors Bill Ference and Chris Ellis-Ferrara (22nd and 30th respectively in NESCAC and 31st and 28th in the regional meet).

Chris Ellis-Ferrara '07

"These two have learned to race and push together and are the main 'cog' to pull our pack close to the leaders," said Coach Farwell.

Rounding out the six returnees from last year's top seven are sophomores Corey Levin and Morgan Seybert. Levin and Seybert both posted strong first seasons of collegiate cross-country. Levin recorded a 34th at NESCACs. "Corey came up with a gutsy race at nationals to be our crucial 5th scorer," remarked Farwell.

Bill Ference '07

Seybert, who 'trains like a demon,' according to Farwell, was 51st at NESCACs. This past spring Seybert competed in the USA Track & Field Junior Nationals and placed 9th in the 10,000 meter run.

Williams will also have at least ten more returning experienced runners (four sophomores, two seniors and four juniors) competing for a spot in the top seven. At the 2004 ECAC Division 3 championship sophomore Grant Burgess took 10th place with classmates Brian Holaday in 13th, Jim Clayton in 15th and Dave Rogawski in 31st. Senior Adrian Martinez was 37th, and is a tri-captain along with Holtschulte and Steve Acton. Senior Thomas Brennan is having a strong summer and will impact the scoring.

Junior Andy Stevenson was 20th at the ECACs last year as Farwell's 'second seven' came in second overall. Farwell's junior class is a strong one, as Colin Carroll, Sean Hyland, and Mike Davitian (a national qualifier in the 1,500 meter last spring) are all having break out summers and should be major factors.

"This whole group has improved in track, trained well all summer, and I would be happy with any of them in the top seven," said Farwell. "This magnificent depth will give us a 'Second Seven' capable of challenging Tufts for the ECAC title, second to none."

Corey Levin '08

Among the talented first years arriving this fall who could contend for a spot in the top 14 are Brendan Christian (Chicago, IL), Tim Durham (Guilford, CT) and Brooks Udelsman (Woodbridge, CT) and six or seven others who had successful high school careers. Much will depend on how they adapt their 5K talents to the 8K collegiate race distance.

With the departure of last year's assistants Steve Pasche and Yarrow Moench who left to take over the programs at Luther College (Iowa) the team welcomes a trio of assistants who will add immensely to the program: Kathleen Newton, Karina Johnson, and Dusty Lopez '01 will assist Farwell.

Newton is a graduate of Southern Vermont College where she owns the 5k cross-country and 5k track records. She previously coached seven years of track & field at Mt. Anthony Union High School in nearby Bennington, VT.

Grant Burgess '08

Lopez was a standout for the Ephs in cross-country and track & field, earning All-America honors in both. Lopez captained both Eph teams his senior year. He recently earned a Master's in journalism at Syracuse University where he also assisted with the SU cross country and track & field teams the past two seasons.

Johnson was Colby's top cross-country runner and captain last fall while earning All-NESCAC and All-New England honors. She also won the NESCAC 10,000 last spring and finished 12th at the NCAAs.

Brian Holaday '08

In NESCAC Tufts, Bates and Connecticut College will offer the Ephs plenty of challenges. Tufts has won the NESCAC the past two years and Bates is another perennial contender, plus a strong returning team from Connecticut College that could surprise. This NESCAC trio along with MIT will be in the running for NCAA team qualifiers, and Williams will be as strong as any.

On the national scene, Coach Farwell feels the Eph team is a 'wild card' that could move up in the standings if everything goes well.

"We are traditionally a deep team that paces and races well, especially at the end of the season," said Farwell. "This squad undoubtedly looks to be our deepest team ever, filled with guys who have taken their training to a new level. That dedication will surely prove itself in the big meets of 2005."

The Ephs are in their third year of keeping just over three miles of Rt. 43 free of litter

2004 Season Wrap-Up

It was another successful fall for the Williams College men's cross country team as the Ephs peaked at the Div. 3 National Championship Meet in Eau Claire, Wis., placing ninth on the heels of three-time All-American Neal Holtschulte, who ran to a second-place finish in the event. The junior earned All-American honors for the third consecutive year after completing the course in 24 minutes, 41 seconds.

Holtschulte won the NESCAC championship race held at Colby College as well and was named NESCAC's Most Outstanding Performer. Joining Holtschulte on the men's First Team All-NESCAC was Williams senior Sam Van Volkenburgh (Freeport, ME.) and sophomore Stephen Wills (Colorado Springs, CO.)

Williams finished second to Tufts University in the NESCAC race. At the NCAA Div. 3 Qualifying Meet, the Ephs placed second as a team behind. Holtschulte came in second individually, while Van Volkenburgh was 10th and Willis 12th.

The Ephs also finished second to Tufts at the ECAC Championships. There, first year Grant Burgess led Williams with a 10th-place finish. Fellow frosh Brian Holaday placed 13th in the field and another first year, Jim Clayton, was 15th overall.

The Ephs also captured their 17th straight Little 3 title.

Click here for the homepage maintained by the team.

Neal Holtschulte '06

Bill Ference '07

2004 Season Outlook

The consistently nationally competitive Williams men's cross country team will look to maintain that reputation and improve on last years' stellar performance. The 2003 Eph squad, ranked 13th in the nation, stunned the field to finish 6th at the NCAA Championships. It marked the second consecutive year that the Ephs posted the highest New England team finish at the NCAAs despite not being the top-ranked team in the region entering the NCAA championship race. The squad also captured its 16th straight Little Three Championship in 2003, and placed second in the NESCAC and third in New England Division III for its 2nd straight year.

With four of their top seven runners returning, the 2004 Ephs will look to build on their 6th place NCAA finish – the best performance for the program since 2000. With All-American Matt Winkler, along with the 4th and 6th men lost to graduation, All-American and top Eph finisher Neal Holtschulte '06 will likely lead the pack again. Holtschulte finished sixth in the NCAA Championships last year and all-region runner Sam VanVolkenburgh '05 came in 77th. All-conference selectee Stephen Wills '07 and Bill Ference '07 round out the top returners for the Ephs.

Strong back up is expected from the improved sophomore class of Chris Ellis-Ferrera, Mike Davitian, Sean Hyland, Greg Rahmlow, and Andy Stevenson, along with Thomas Brennan '06, Adrian Martinez '06, Matt Resseger '05 and Colin Bruzewicz '05. The Ephs expect no less than 20 first years to add some depth as well.

"The team should again be among the top three of the very strong NESCAC," Head Coach Peter Farwell said. "We should vie for a top three New England Division III position, with good prospects to return to the NCAAs and go for another top 10 finish."

The Ephs will surely face strong teams in New England, with Tufts, a veteran team with loads of depth, as the early favorites in New England. Ever-powerful Keene State has good talent and experience and will also prove to be a factor. MIT is always a contendor, while Bates has a good pack. Amherst will be in the mix as a surprise top team from last year. The Lord Jeffs bring great track speed to the cross country course.

Farwell acclaims Holschulte as one of the top runners in the nation, and predicts the 2003 NESCAC Runner of the Year will again place high in all meets. There could be as many as two to three more runners in the mix for All-America honors, but the team must provide depth to be successful.

"The key to team success will be how well summer training converts to fast race performance by the 4-5-6-7 men on the team," Farwell said.

Past Season Highlights
2003 Season Accolades	2002 Season Accolades
Ephs Take Sixth at 2003 NCAAs
All-American Matt Winkler '04	All-American Karl Remsen '03