Bowdoin to Host 2006 Meet

HADLEY, Mass. - Williams College, the five-time defending Men’s and Women’s champion, will look to add another title to its program’s history on Saturday, April 29, during the 2006 NESCAC Track and Field Championships hosted by Bowdoin at the John J. Magee Track in Brunswick, Maine. The track was re-dedicated last autumn in honor of Olympic champion Joan Benoit Samuelson, a 1979 graduate of Bowdoin, and a two-time Boston Marathon winner. Williams has captured 13 of the last 14 Men’s titles, and 10 of the last 12 Women’s crowns.

Middlebury senior Kevin Bright (Sharon, Mass.) earned Most Outstanding Male Performer at the 2005 championship after winning the 400-meter dash and the 400-meter hurdles, along with being a part of the record-setting Panther squad in last year’s 4 x 400-meter relay. One of Bright’s challengers in the 400-meter dash this year could be a familiar foe in the form of sophomore teammate Patrick Swan (Horseheads, N.Y.), the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer last year. Bright and Swan finished one-two in the 400-meter event a year ago, with both runners separated by just over three-tenths of a second. The Panthers finished third at last year’s championship, the best showing for the program since 2001.

Williams senior John Symanski (Greenfield, Wis.) looks to lead his squad past the rest of the field to its sixth consecutive Men’s title this weekend. Symanski headlined a one-two finish for the Ephs in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash during last year’s championship, after finishing third in the 200-meter during his sophomore season of 2004. Symanski was one of four Ephs that broke a 13-year old championship record in the 4 x 100-meter relay last Spring.

Junior Mike Davitian (East Setauket, N.Y.) came away with the 1500-meter title last year, the third year in a row that an Eph runner has captured the 1500-meter crown, while senior Neal Holtschulte (Marysville, Ohio) will look to return to his 2004 form in the 5000-meter after finishing second last year, all while fending off potential challenges from Bates senior Dan Johnson (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) and Tufts junior Josh Kennedy (Guilford, Conn.). Tufts senior Matt Lacey (Amherst, Mass.) will also be a factor in the long-distance events, after finishing first in the 10000-meter in 2005 and third in the 5000-meter in 2004.

In the field events, Tufts junior Fred Jones (Northfield, Mass.) returns to defend his title in both the long jump and the triple jump. Williams senior Dan Austin (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) posted a new standard in the discus last year, while finishing fourth in the shot put.

On the women’s side, senior Keelin Godsey (Parker, Colo.) returns to the field after a stellar 2005 championship. Godsey broke the record in the hammer throw for the second-straight year with a distance of 59.90 meters last spring, eclipsing her 2004 mark of 58.50 meters. Godsey also finished first in the shot put and placed fifth in the javelin, as Bates came away with a sixth-place showing at the meet.

Williams performance during last year’s championship was fueled by the fact that the Ephs placed at least one runner in the top three spots in seven of the 10 track events. Looking to put on a repeat performance for her squad will be senior Katie Fulton (Concord, Mass.), after she finished first in the 100-meter and 200-meter dash. Fulton will be helped in the Ephs’ title defense by sophomore Veronica Ivey (Bainbridge Island, Wash.), who finished first in the 400-meter and third in the 200-meter dash.

Tufts junior Sarah Crispin (Auburn, Maine) and Catherine Beck (Brookline, N.H.) made their mark in the 1500-meter last Spring, placing first and third, respectively, in the event, however the remainder of the distance events may be up for grabs. Juniors Ellen Davis (Montclair, N.J.) of Wesleyan and Karen Prisby (Agawam, Mass.) of Colby both finished among a senior-laden top five in the 5000-meter. Junior Shauneen Garrahan (Fairfax Station, Va.) will look to defend her title in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

The championship format, previously a two-day event, was changed to a one-day competition in 2003. The meet gets underway on Saturday with field events beginning at 9:00 a.m. and running events commencing at 9:30 a.m. Results will be available at the conclusion of the event online at www.nescac.com.