Middlebury Women, Williams Men Earn 2009 Cross Country Titles

Courtesy Trinity Sports Information

MANCHESTER, Conn. – The Williams College men captured their fourth consecutive NESCAC Cross Country Championship, while the Middlebury College women took the 2009 league crown at Wickham Park Sunday Afternoon.

Hamilton College's Peter Kosgei (Kapsabet, Kenya) won his third consecutive individual title, running the 8-kilometer course in 25:40, while Sophia Galleher (Denver, Colo.) of Amherst took the individual title, covering the women's 6-kilometer course in 21:39 as she won the crown by just one second over runner-up Ravenna Neville (Westfield, N.J.) of Wesleyan.

Kosgei topped runner-up Edgar Kosgey (Eldoret Rift Valley, Kenya) of Williams, by 17seconds. Josephat Koima (Eldoret Rift Valley, Kenya) of Williams placed third as he and Kosgey led the Ephs to a NESCAC-record 12th team title. Williams placed its five scoring runners in the top 13 in the race, for a team-best score of 40. Runner-up Amherst scored 88, and Tufts finished third with 90.

Kosgei joins former Eph runner Neal Holtschulte as the only individuals to win three consecutive titles. He is the third harrier to win the individual crown three times during their career.

On the women's side,  Tufts’ Amy Wilfert (Westborough, Mass.) finished third, just one second behind Neville, at 21:41. The women's team title was taken by Middlebury, who finished with 49 points, as the Panthers placed their top five runners in the race's top 21 individual finishers, including four in the top 10. Middlebury earns its 10th title with the win. Williams took second place, finishing with 59 points, and Amherst took third with 71. 

Complete Individual Men's Results   ---   Complete Individual Women's Results