HADLEY, Mass. — Colby College will host the 2005 NESCAC Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championships on Saturday April 30th. Williams is the defending champion for both the men and women. The Eph men have won the team title 11 of the last 12 years while the women have been crowned champions at eight of the last ten events. At the 2004 championships, Tufts placed second in both the men’s and women’s team standings, followed by the Colby men and Bates women in third.

Highlighting the men’s events at this year’s Championships will be Colby senior Xavier Garcia, the 2004 NESCAC Champion in the 100 and 200-meters after winning the 400-meters, long jump and triple jump at the 2003 championships. Garcia, the Most Outstanding Male Performer at the championships each of the last two years, is among Division III’s best in the triple jump and 400-meters this year. Williams junior John Symanski will challenge Garcia in the 400-meters while Middlebury junior Kevin Bright is strong in the 400-meter hurdles. In the distance events, 2004 NESCAC Cross Country Champion Tufts has the top two 5,000-meter runners nationally in senior Nathan Brigham and junior Matt Lacey.

Three of the top javelin throwers in Division III will compete in the championships; Middlebury juniors Steve Atkinson and Khristoph Becker, and Colby sophomore Andrew Heal. Fellow Mule junior Jason Foster leads the NESCAC in the hammer throw, while senior Mike Page of Amherst has the fourth best time nationally in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.

The NESCAC women are strong nationally in the distance events. Williams junior Caroline Cretti returns with the nation’s best time to date in the 10,000 meters after winning that event and setting a new NESCAC record at the 2003 Championships. She is also among the top 5,000 meter runners along with defending champion and NESCAC record holder Carter Hamill of Amherst. Amherst’s Shauneen Garrahan, the 2004 Rookie of the Year, is the defending champion in the 1,500 meter and also strong in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. Colby freshman Anna King will challenge in the steeplechase while teammate Jessica Minty, a junior, leads the conference in the 800-meters.

Bates’ junior Kelly Godsey, the two-time defending champion in the hammer throw, leads a host of strong throwers at the NESCAC championships. Godsey, the 2003 NESCAC Rookie of the Year, is ranked among the nation’s best in the hammer, discus and shot put. Williams’ sophomore Anna Morrison will attempt to defend her title in the discus.

The championship format, previously a two-day event, was changed to a one-day competition in 2003. The meet starts at 9:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Alfond Outdoor Track. Results will be available at the conclusion of the event online at www.nescac.com.