Meet Results

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA (November 7, 2009) -- At the 2009 ECAC Championships hosted by Williams College, the Vassar men's cross-country team looked to compete against a large field of schools from across New England and the Mid-Atlantic. A thick frost hardened the ground of the grassy, hilly course, and combined with the mid-day sun, made for excellent racing conditions.

The Brewers took advantage of their opportunity to shine, placing 5th due to a strong team effort and a gutsy performance by freshman Sam Wagner. From the starting gun, the Brewers did an excellent job of being assertive, with Wagner and junior Jon Erickson in the lead pack at mile one. As the race settled down, Wagner settled into a groove and held position within the top 15. Heading into the last mile, the course's most difficult hill threatened to send him out of the top 20, but he quickly reversed a falling trend with 500 meters to go, passing 5 runners to finish in 13th overall, in a time of 27:22. Erickson made a calculated decision before the race to contend for the victory, and was within a stride of the lead heading into the woods for the first time. While this approach took a lot of energy and led him to briefly pause halfway through the race, Erickson held on to finish a very respectable 24th, in a time of 27:38.

Close behind was freshman Roni Teich, who ran the first mile more conservatively than his teammates, but made up significant ground during the race's second half, finishing 27th in 27:45.

Vassar's sophomore class also showed a great deal of promise, as they have all season. Today, Zach Williams was the top finisher among this group, placing 37th in 27:57. Matt Blair had a breakout race on a difficult course, with his second fastest time to date on an 8K course, finishing 62nd in 28:25. Justin Rupert was the third sophomore to finish for the Brewers, close behind in 70th place, with a time of 28:34. Rounding out Vassar's team today was senior Dan Liebowitz, who placed 111th in a time of 29:27.

 “Having Sam get All-ECAC as a freshman is fantastic; very few Vassar freshman have finished top 15 at this race previously; he did a great job not being intimated and getting out quickly,” said Head Coach James McCowan. “In fact, all our guys went out strong today, Sam just hung in their very well. Also, Matt has really stepped up his game all season, but today he got a great payoff, and moved up very well through the second half of the race.”

 “Dan Liebowitz has been a great member of this team over these four years. He's performed well on this course historically, and I think this was a great place for him to conclude his collegiate cross-country career,” added Associate Head Coach Ron Stonitsch.